Lady Storm
by HuntressDiana
Summary: Alanna left Corus after the Great Palace Battle, guilt stricken and grieving. So she became Ariana, a Shang student with no past and no hope for a good future. But fate is a funny thing, her path has crossed with Jon's and her secret has been revealed.
1. Disclaimer etc

**Princess of the Rogue II; Lady Storm.**

**By HuntressDiana.**

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Well, I'm back! Do I really need to go through this? I seem to have written it many times before, but I suppose, for legal stakes, I really should. Tortall, Jonathon, Gary, Raoul, George etc.... don't belong to me. The plot however does, using this plot without my permission, or any of my original characters or settings is forbidden. This is plagiarism. I have had experience of this before and so I will lay out what will happen if I catch, or one of my readers notices, something too familiar to this to be coincidence.  You will be reported. Fanfiction.net has a strict policy on this, go read it if you want to know more.

**Summary; **Roger of Conte is dead and Tortall is safe. But some of the country's greatest heroes fell defending it. For the survivors it is time to move on. Prince Jonathon, George, Gary, Raoul, Alex and Thom all still mourn. How can they be expected to move on when the past keeps coming back to haunt them?


	2. Prologue

**Prologue; Heroine of Tortall.**

**For everyone who begged me for a sequel, even though this has been planned for months.**

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"You can't stay like this forever." 

Two men sat next to each other on the edge of a fountain, staring at a small stone set in a bed of flowers. It was unclear which one had spoken. 

Outwardly they both looked calm and in control of their lives. They had been, but a year and a half ago, to the very day, their lives had spun wildly out of control. 

For both the chaos had begun earlier, but then it had been controlled. The older man's brown hair looked as if it had been ruffled by a strong wind and his hazel eyes, usually alight with laughter, were sad and quiet. For him it had begun four years before that day. 

For the younger, black haired man, it had been just under a year previously. His eyes, although they were clear, the sapphire irises were muted by a sheen of tears.

Both had circles under their eyes and were obviously exhausted, both physically and mentally. However they both wore an air of authority, like one who is used to being in command and not having their orders challenged. But here, they had no names; here they were united in their grief.

They were staring at a small pillar of carved stone. It was cut and engraved into the shape of a rearing horse with a female rider on its back, hooded and cloaked. A sword was girt at her side and a quiver was attached to her mare's saddle. She wore a long dress, one fit for the richest lady in court, with a sword belt over the girdle. A strand of her long hair escaped its confines and whipped around her face in a wind only the statue could feel. 

Her face was hidden deep inside the hood, but if the watcher craned their head they would get an impression of great determination etched upon her face, a sly grin upon her mouth.

Every line had been cut carefully, with delicate tools and great detail. The stone was marble, black and white in separate pieces, but they were joined together so carefully no visible line could be seen. Her hair was traced with copper threads, set into the stone's surface. Her sword was silver wire and her mare's coat was run through with golden lines. She herself was white marble, while her cloak was dark grey.

Beneath the statuette was a simple plaque of bronze. It was inscribed with the words;

_'Lady Alanna of Trebond and Silvereves. Heroine of Tortall.'_


	3. Chapter One, Dawn

**Chapter One, Dawn.**

**Reintroducing the girl on top of the hill outside Corus in the Epilogue of 'Princess of the Rogue'.**

A figure stood on a lonely hill in the middle of a dense green wood. They moved gracefully in a set series of movements. Their eyes were closed and their features were held in an expression that was both clear and serene as she moved. She was starkly highlighted against the rosy pink sky as the sun rose, becoming a black silhouette outlined against a great ball of fire.

Although her clothes were loose and plain, they were sweat soaked, leaving them to cling close to her body, like a second skin.  The dark brown breeches she wore were held up by a belt of plaited leather thongs, threaded with beads of light wood and amber glass. That was the only ornament that she wore. Her neck was devoid of jewellery and her ears, although they were pierced, were empty. Her feet were bare and stained slightly green and brown from the leaves she had crushed, and the mud beneath her feet. Her dark brown hair was severely pulled back into a plain plait, although a few tendrils had escaped and fell around her face.

Her blouse stuck to her frame and unashamedly drew the watcher's attention to her. The white, thin cloth became see through when wet and he avidly watched the movements of her torso as her red breast band revealed itself. 

He feasted his eyes upon her slim form. As a companion she was loyal even to those she despised, as an enemy, she was ferocious and unyielding. That was why he hid in the bushes to observe her morning practise instead of openly watching her from inside the clearing. 

As her routine came to an end he stood, brushing dead leaves from the seat of his breeches, and pushed his way through the low hanging branches towards her practise ground. 

"Ariana!" Her head whipped around, and he congratulated himself on his stealth. Few managed to creep up on her. Even fewer were allowed to walk away again afterwards.

"Go away Toran." She ordered, "I'm not in the mood." Her eyes relaxed slightly when she saw it was him. Although her body was at ease as she bent down to gather her things together, obviously not considering him to be a threat, her eyes were alert and scanning the edges of the clearing.

As she turned her attention fully to her packing, he took a run at her, hoping to gain the element of surprise. 

As usual in their bouts, his far greater weight bowled her over, but she pushed herself, and so him, over again until they rolled over the crest of the hill. She had expected the sudden slope, and so timed her movements appropriately. She drew a knee up between them, and propelled him off of her, letting him roll on down the slope, while she remained on top of the hill. When he managed to stop his fall, she leapt on top of him, forcing all the air out of his lungs. When he recovered, he found himself staring straight up at her chest.

Fixated, he only looked away when a firm pair of fingers moved his chin up.

"Unless you've suddenly become unfamiliar with the female anatomy, which I doubt, my face is here."

He didn't move away or turn away until she released him. 

"Are you ready for tonight then?" Toran asked, glancing up at the sky as he picked himself up. He estimated it was around mid morning.

"I've been ready for this for years." She stood upright, releasing her hair from its bindings, and then re-plaited it firmly.

"It is time Ariana." Eda Bell, the Shang Wildcat, and Ariana's teacher walked out of the trees, and up the hill towards the pair. "Let us go to the palace."

Ariana nodded and made her way down the hill, leaving Toran to carry her bag, on the way to the palace, and the Chamber of the Ordeal.

**I know it's short. The chapters will get longer though. And the next one will be up very soon.**

**HuntressDiana.**


	4. Chapter Two, Grief

**Chapter Two; Grief.**

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Jonathon of Conté pulled himself up from his seat on the rim of the fountain. The sun had climbed past its peak and he and George had sat here for long enough. Now it was time to return to 'normal life'. Here, in the little garden dedicated to Alanna's memory, it was peaceful and safe.

Flowers sat before the monument, they were fresh, brightly coloured and fragrant, Jon suspected Thom had something to do with the fact that they always looked brand new. He had probably laid a charm upon the glade to make it always beautiful.

George leant over and plucked one from the masses, sliding it carefully into one of his buttonholes. He stood, as always unable to speak. Whenever he was here, he felt his throat seize up and his heart constrict painfully. The reality always hit him hard here. At other times he would find something of Alanna's lying around the Dancing Dove, or he would think of something to ask her, or catch himself walking into her old room to show her a new dagger or to talk to her about the goings on at the Court of the Rogue. Alanna was dead, and had been for the last year and a half, and yet he was still an emotional wreck. 

For weeks after her death he had denied the fact, and had declared that she was still alive. Selket had tried to seize his throne and had nearly succeeded. The most faithful of George's followers had repelled the attack, until his cousin Rispah had woken the thief king out of his daze.

He had been sitting in Alanna's room, which had, for the most part, remained untouched by any since she had left it on the fateful night; he had been staring out of the window, at the place where she used to sit. He was playing with one of her daggers she had left behind when she went to the battle at the palace to fight Roger, the Duke of Conté. Rispah had come up the stars, bleeding to see him sitting there, waiting for death to come to him. She had thrown a fit, slapping him on the cheek and screaming that even if he wanted to die, others didn't, and he had them to protect. 

Selket had entered the room behind her, and attacked George. His reflexes had taken over, and he fought the other man. When he had rolled away, he left Alanna's dagger deep in Selket's chest.

"There you go lass." he had said, staring down at the dark blood that stained his hands and liberally covered his rival's body. "We killed him at last."

And as he stood there, frozen firmly in place, Rispah had walked over to him and folded him into her arms.

"Alanna's dead too George. Nothin' can bring her back." He had broken down at her words, realising them to be true, he had sobbed all his grief and pain out into her shoulder. She just held him close and let him cry.

Jonathan left George and the garden behind him. His eyes were red and his face was pale. He came here, to the shrine, for a while every week. It was seldom occupied, except by George or one of his friends. Alex had come only twice, once when the statue had been erected, along with the rest of the court, and then to lay flowers. Gary came infrequently, as he felt the need, Raoul came more, usually during feasts, banquets or dances he wanted to escape. Both he and Alanna loathed being polite to those they hated and having to dress up like dolls.

There had been an official period of mourning for the whole country, to honour the deaths of those who fought in the Palace battle, and for Alanna. It had been ten weeks, a very long time for the mourning of any battle. For the death of a member of the royal family, even a distant royal, the mourning time was six months or more.  Some people, especially commoners had deified her though; she was revered in the lower city where she had lived as a sort of Goddess. Her story had been made into many songs and epic ballads. Men sang of the fair Lady Alanna who was betrayed by her evil father, but rode bravely to Corus and took her place as their Princess of the Rogue. Surprisingly, by common agreement, whenever the Provost or his men were nearby, that part was muted by loud chatter. Her last fight had been exaggerated, as she battled the sorcerer Duke with magical weapons given to her by the Gods, before finally stopping his plans to ruin the country with her own hands. Then she had sacrificed her life to save them all.

These songs were rarely sung at court though. It had become obvious to all that they were not received well when the Prince and his friends pointedly left the room every time a song about Alanna was announced, or alluded to.

They had managed to sit through the one song that had been permitted, at her funeral.

Jon still wore a black belt, the only sign of mourning he was still allowed to bear as he had been forbidden to wear anything else black. His father had commanded it, saying that the royal family must be seen to stand together and to do what was right for Tortall. And what was right was not excessive grieving. His father felt Jon's grief was too great for being proper. He seemed to think that she and Jon had been lovers. He sighed regretfully, casting his mind back one midwinter, when they had been together, and he had not felt such an emptiness in his heart.

He had been wounded, shot by a crossbow. Alanna had managed to get him into the old library, and she had healed him. Before she had left to fight his cousin he had kissed her. It had slowly been dawning upon him that he cared for her more then as a friend. And the way she had responded to his second kiss had given him hope that she felt the same way about him. He had known that she was brave and noble, but she had proved that she was capable of outstanding loyalty, risking her life for him and his friends often. She was a healer and he owed her his life twice over. 

But it wasn't that which made him love her, for he was in love with her, even now, two years after her death. It was her fire that he loved. Her vibrant spirit that should have been crushed by her experiences, but had survived. She had been brilliant, a bright beacon of life and joy, but her light had been extinguished far too soon, before her turn.

And he missed her. His feelings had come suddenly, and he didn't know where from. He had always liked and admired her. Thinking back once more, he knew that he had realised his feelings had run deeper than friendship a long time ago, when they had danced together at the Dove. 

Unwilling, she had been pulled onto a cleared bit of space, the 'dance floor' and she had partnered him. He remembered the feel of her small hand as it curled into his larger one. They had laughed so much that night and they had spun around and around. He had seen a lighter side of Alanna that night, as she smiled at him unguardedly and laughed at his jokes. 

He bumped into someone and apologised, without even bothering to look up. The lively voice that rose before him made him glance up to see their face. It was Eda Bell, the Shang wildcat who had sometimes come to teach hand to hand combat at the palace. Her brown hair was cropped close to her head and streaked with grey, but her eyes were sparkling with a mischief that belied her age.

"Prince Jonathan." She bowed to him, although not as low as etiquette demanded.

"Mistress Bell. What are you doing back at the palace so soon?"

She arched an eyebrow at him, 

"So pleased to see me?" 

He shook his head at her slightly, 

"You know that wasn't what I meant."

"I know. I'm here for the Chamber of the Ordeal. One of my pupils is going to be entering that tonight. The first in to take the Ordeal of Shang in three hundred years."

"I thought the Ordeal for Shangs was to spend a year out of their homeland, travelling around." Jon said, slightly confused.

"That is it usually." The older woman agreed, "But there has always been the choice of taking the proper ordeal of the chamber. That's what Ariana has chosen to do."

A man, not much older than Jon, perhaps twenty one, strode up to the pair.

"Eda! She's gone in to prepare." A quick clip around his ear directed his attention towards Jon.

"Prince Jonathan, this fool here is Toran. He is at the end of his year out of his homeland- Maren."

"Your highness." Toran bowed,

"What is your rank?" Jon enquired, curious.

"I will be named tonight. Ariana, if she survives the ordeal, will also be named tomorrow." He crossed his chest with a six pointed star when he mentioned the ordeal. Obviously nothing would have made him go in that door. 

"Are the two of you well known?"

"Ariana is more than I." The man was obviously puzzled by the question, but answered courteously. "She is a pupil of both the wildcat here," Eda bowed slightly, a mocking smile on her face, "And the Dragon a few years before he died. Several notable warriors have had a hand in her training or they have praised her dedication."

"That would explain why we suddenly have more Shang warriors in the city than ever before." 

Eda laughed.

"That'd be most of it." She sobered suddenly. "Some also see it as bein' a fittin' tribute to Liam, myself included. They've come to bid farewell to him as they hopefully welcome his student into our ranks."

Jon too grew quiet. Liam Ironarm had died in the place battle. He had never really got to know him, but he had been a great man if all the tales were to be believed. He forced his thoughts away from the sad memories and asked if he could meet the girl Ariana.

"She's preparing herself for the Chamber now." Toran said. "Meditating and suchlike."

"I will be present at her naming, and I might see you both tomorrow night as well?" Jon asked.

"I will be holding vigil over Ariana tonight." Eda said.

"I will be there too, after my naming," The other man agreed. With Yamani like bows, hand lying flat upon their thighs, the two left Jon alone with his melancholy thoughts once more.

**Oh god, more angst! Sorry…**

**HuntressDiana.**


	5. Chapter Three, Ordeal

Chapter Three; Ordeal.  
  
I'm going to be away for the next two weeks, but I have got one of my friends  
  
to update for me. All say 'thank you to *S_Star*!!!  
  
HuntressDiana  
  
Note from S_Star: I'm sorry if any of the spacing or formatting on this or any other of HD's fics doesn't display correctly, but I'm just uploading them directly in Word Document format (as they were sent). They also won't necessarily be exactly when she was planning to update, but at most it'll be only a day or two off. So, on with the eagerly awaited (or so I hear) next chapter of Lady Storm...   
  
Ariana sat in her room, staring into the eyes of her reflection. It was approaching dusk and she would undergo the same ritual of preparation as the knights who faced the Chamber of the Ordeal did. She was now waiting to be taken to her sacramental bath.  
  
Gracefully, she uncoiled herself from her position on the floor and straightened her clothes. She wore plain green breeches, patched and mended often, and a clean, loose shirt.  
  
  
  
A quiet knock sounded at the door. She quickly walked over to the door and pulled it open sharply.  
  
"Ready?" The Wildcat and Toran stood there before her, looking expectant.  
  
"I'm ready." She had been nervous earlier, unable to eat or drink everything. But after doing a few practice sequences and kata she was calmer. It was almost time to enter the Chamber and there was nothing she could do to prevent it. What would happen in there would happen to her if she wanted it to or not. As it happened, she did. At times she could be reckless, loving a challenge and this was to be one of the greatest challenges of her life.  
  
  
  
She was led by her teacher and co-pupil to the bath house. Given the lateness of the hour and the occasion, it was not surprising that it was empty. Here she was to take the Sacramental bath. Toran and Eda sat in the next room, drinking spiced wine while she washed.  
  
The bath water was icy cold and she sat at the edge of the deep pool, shivering. Gathering her breath, she ducked under the water, shaking her long hair out.  
  
When she surfaced, Eda stood nearby, a towel in her hands. Unashamedly, Ariana stepped from the water and dried herself off on the coarse cloth.  
  
Grimacing at the clammy feel, she dressed in the required loose white tunic and breeches. She pulled her wet hair away from her face and dried it off as far as was possible. She then pulled it back into its customary fashion, a tight plait, bound with a leather thong, away from her face and out of the way.  
  
Eda opened the door and admitted Toran into the inner room.  
  
  
  
All three moved across the room and settled themselves on the marble block provided for that use. The two older Shangs faced Ariana, their faces deadly serious.  
  
"Are you ready to be instructed?  
  
She answered with the age old reply.  
  
"I am."  
  
"Very well. Becoming a warrior of the Shang way is not something to be undertaken lightly." Eda started. "It is a position of trust and honour. Poor and rich alike may come to you for aid. Help them in anyway you can."  
  
"You are bound under oath, ever since you came to learn the arts of a Shang warrior. Your oaths bind you to never use your training and skill of evil ends. Help all those that need it, but do not accept payment."  
  
Ariana sat, ignoring the cold on her skin as the water lying there evaporated. Anticipation thrilled through her veins as each of her companions tightly grasped an elbow or a forearm and pulled her up from her seat. Together they left the bath house and headed towards the Chapel of the Ordeal  
  
Eda and Toran led her through the deserted hallways, past locked doors and ones partly ajar. The Chamber of the Ordeal was inside a larger hall; the chapel. As they walked down the aisle, past all the empty pews, she shivered suddenly and involuntarily. She could feel the power seeping towards her, through the air, through the stone under her bare feet, and in everything that surrounded her. It came from the altar at the front of the chapel, and the door behind it.  
  
Dust had been cleaned from the altar and all the other surfaces. Especially for her, she suspected. Usually, only the altar was cleaned until Midwinter, when the squires undertook the ordeal of knighthood. The rest of the year it stood silent, its peace only rarely disturbed by the occasional squire who came to see it and the priests who came to clean and maintain the building.  
  
The face of Mithros, surrounded by a disc depicting the sun, loomed before Ariana. It shone menacingly in the light of the candles and to her, although the features were arranged in a serene expression, it gave her a horrible feeling of dismay. This was the first time she had set foot in the chapel and so intent was she on looking around and absorbing all her surroundings, that she almost missed Toran's warning not to speak again until the Chamber released her, shortly after dawn.  
  
  
  
Ariana felt her arms being released and then she stepped forward alone, away from her teacher and fellow pupil. She  
  
felt, rather than saw or heard, them move away and sit down in a pew at the back of the chapel.  
  
  
  
She finished the walk down the aisle and bowed slightly to the disc of the sun on the altar. That done, she moved aside and sat on one of the hard marble steps. She exhaled, her breath crystallising in the frigid air as she watched. She hadn't realised until then show cold it was in the chapel. There were few windows with shutters or glass, so the chilly night air flowed in freely. Ariana supposed that it saved having to air the room out constantly.  
  
No one had told her what she was meant to do in the hours between now and dawn.  
  
There had really been no one to tell her, or that she could talk to about her Ordeal. The last Shang who had survived this had been the Raven, Sannate from Carthak, and as that had been several hundred years ago, he was unavailable, even  
  
just for a quick chat.  
  
Kaya, the Shang Cheetah, had told her to reflect on her future, present and past.  
  
  
  
Her past.  
  
Now there was a touchy topic. Sometimes she wondered what her life would have been like if her mother and father hadn't died. Or if.  
  
No! There was no point in worrying about 'what ifs'. This was her life and only she could live it. And living in the past never did anybody any good at all.  
  
  
  
She sat more upright on the unyielding step and shifted her thoughts far away from that quarter. Her present..  
  
Her present was far more positive than her past. She had trained hard to get herself where she was now. She had  
  
worked unendingly, day and night, learning all she could, from any who would teach her.  
  
  
  
Her future, that was open and filled with more things to do and hope for than she had ever dreamed of. There was so much she had time to do now. She would be free, no allegiance owed to any master, no fixed work or home. She would be free to wander the world, to search out adventures she had dreamed of, ever since she was a little child.  
  
  
  
Her knees began to ache and she felt her foot start to fall asleep. But Ariana ignored the pain, before her eyes she painted a picture of a possible future. Adventures, a happy home, a husband who understood her and loved her, for all her faults.  
  
It was a future she could have, Ariana reflected, but she was almost certain that it was one she wouldn't have.  
  
  
  
A hand tapped her shoulder and she glanced up. A man in the orange robe of a Mithran Priest gestured to the open  
  
chamber door behind the altar. She nodded, remembering that she was not allowed to speak. He replied likewise and guided her to the door.  
  
  
  
With a deep breath, she laid a hand on the door frame and stepped inside. The priest shut and locked the door behind her. She was left alone in the Chamber of the Ordeal. 


	6. Chapter Four, Visionary

Chapter four; Visionary.  
  
Ariana looked around the room. There was nothing in it at all, it was completely devoid or windows, rugs or furniture. It seemed to be very unthreatening. She moved away from the doorway, into the middle of the floor. She almost tripped over something that lay in the middle of the floor as she walked. She bent down to examine it.  
  
It was a sword, and a beautiful one at that. The hilt was gold plated and wrought in the shape of a bird, its wings forming the crosspieces and its beak stretched up the hilt. Two small gems served as eyes and they gleamed eerily in the darkness.  
  
Ariana picked it up from the floor and it automatically found its way into her sword hand and in the 'ready' position. The blade glowed at her as she held it up before her face, the light coming in pulses like a heartbeat.  
  
  
  
As she admired it, something came up from behind her; it was man shaped and sized, judging by the shadow it cast onto the floor. Ariana whipped around and was instantly ready to defend herself.  
  
She had to bite her lip to stop a scream emerging from her throat. It was a rotting corpse. Slowly, swallowing to control the surge of bile she could feel rising up her throat, she raised her eyes to his face. She knew this man, or had known him before. There was enough of the hair, the strong nose and proud chin for her to be in no doubt as to his identity. She had killed him once.  
  
She peered over his shoulder, a horrible sight meeting her eyes. They were all there, her family, the people who haunted her dreams at night and she would never forget their expressions as she had done what needed to be done. She had killed the first man before them all.  
  
He attacked her now, inexplicably armed with a razor sharp sword, while she only had the sword she had picked up from the floor. She hated trusting in an untested weapon that she didn't know and could let her down at any moment. But it was all she had, so she would have to trust it.  
  
He threw the first stroke at her and she easily parried it, to her great relief the sword held and did not break as she had feared it would. She attacked next, sending blows at all parts of his body. The sword was not her best weapon, she preferred hand to hand combat to swordplay, but she had been trained in the use of a sword, and slowly the training took hold. She began fighting on instinct, each movement flowing seamlessly into the next one. Her sword cut deep into his shoulder and he just laughed. Sickeningly, the other corpses laughed with him, and cheered him on.  
  
Ariana wrenched the blade free from his body and switched hands as she moved gracefully to the side, lopping off his head.  
  
His body fell to the stone floor, and his head hit the ground a microsecond later, with a disgusting wet sound. Yet still he laughed, on and on. Ariana was forced to bend over and retch as her stomach rebelled.  
  
'Great' She thought 'The Chamber has a sick sense of humour'  
  
"You'll never be rid of me. You do know that. Don't you?"  
  
The head was still able to talk, although it no longer had any vocal cords. "I will always haunt you. My last words stick deep in your mind. You'll never get away from me." His voice became lilting and he spoke again, "You killed them. You sent every one of them to their deaths. You kill every one you touch. If you get close to them, you only manage to hurt them and so they hurt you too. You are a killer! You kill the only people who ever loved you, or even cared for you!"  
  
She hit the head once, more, cutting it in two pieces. Finally it fell silent, and the rest of the corpses faded away.  
  
She walked composedly into a corner and emptied the contents of her stomach, then she picked up the sword once  
  
more, and kicked his body into the same corner.  
  
'Is that the best you can do?' She asked the Chamber, shouting it out in her mind, 'Bringing my past back to haunt me? Making my nightmares into flesh? I'm over that part of my life. I've forgotten it! I've moved on!'  
  
  
  
In reply, a picture appeared on the opposite wall. Ariana paused her tirade and looked closer, it was more than a picture, it was real, a miniature version of a city. Ariana walked nearer, she saw it was black, made completely of black stone. When she moved towards it and peered into the vision, she could see the delicate carvings that covered the entire city. She tried to work out what the pictures showed, twisting her head from side to side to get a better look. But the scene shifted and she saw the whole city from the sky, as if she were an eagle soaring high on the thermal currents. The city was built in the shape of a circle, coiling in on itself like a spiral. There was a high wall surrounding the whole of the city and it too was made of obsidian marble. From her position so high in the sky, Ariana could see another city in the distance. She knew that city she realised; she had stayed there for a couple of weeks a few years ago. It was Persopolis, the only city ever built by the Bazhir people. As she came to this recognition the Chamber dropped her like a stone.  
  
She plummeted through the air towards the unyielding stone floor of the Chamber. She fell through cold, hot and tepid areas. Her skin seemed to be attacked by a swarm of needles, it hurt so much. When she finally landed on her feet, it was with a frightful jar, so much so that, even as she bent her knees to absorb the shock, she fell forwards. Something clattered to the floor by her side. It was the sword. She picked it up carefully and looked at it for a long time. With a start she realised that her reflection was not present in the shiny blade. Instead another picture was forming. It was spherical, and shone white, as bright as the midwinter moon on a clear night. The glow grew so bright she was forced to close her eyes.  
  
When Ariana was able to open her eyes again, she saw the Chamber door in front of her. She rested her hand on the door frame, feeling the cold coarse wood with relief. She felt the power of the room ring through her body. When the door didn't open she pushed her will into the wood, and then into the stone on each side.  
  
'Let me go!' She ordered. The Chamber shook around herm, rattling her with its displeasure, but she stayed firm and resolute.  
  
With a grudging squeak of its hinges, the door opened and let her go. She nodded a little in satisfaction and walked out.  
  
  
  
Ariana looked out, across the Chapel of the Ordeal, with unseeing eyes. She didn't notice Eda run up to her and throw a cloak over her shoulders.  
  
"You're shivering Ariana." When she got no response from the girl, the Wildcat wrapped her tighter into the cloak. She had seen the tears Ariana's tunic and breeches. She quickly shooed the other Shangs who were crowding around the pair away from them.  
  
"She lives." Then the older woman nodded to Toran. He swung the girl up into his arms, and cradled her as if she were a baby. Her head lolled into the curve of his shoulder, hiding her face from view. Eda folded the cloth in neatly and followed Toran from the room, nodding to all she passed.  
  
They laid Ariana down in her bed and as they covered her up and began to leave, they heard her speak quietly as she revived a little.  
  
"Did I do it?" Eda left Toran at the door and crossed the room, back over to the bedside.  
  
"Gods bless you Ariana. You did it. You're Shang now." 


	7. Chapter Five, The meaning of a name

**Chapter five; The meaning of a name.**

**Well. I'm back!!! Miss me?**

****

The next day Ariana was recovered from her Ordeal. As it was forbidden to tell anyone what had passed in the time between the Chamber door shutting and its opening, she kept it to herself, but she was determined to follow the Chamber's guidance and return to the Great Southern Desert and Persopolis. Some strange compulsion rested upon her and she was unsure that she could resist it, even if she wanted to. 

In the evening, both Ariana and Toran were clothed in long white garments. Toran's was slightly too short and it stopped above his ankles. On her however, it was too long and she had to be careful when she walked, so as not to trip over the hem. Both gowns had stiff hoods, which, when they were pulled over their head, covered all but their mouth and chin. Tradition demanded that these should only be lifted when they were presented with their name and Shang insignia. Ariana's long hair was pulled back into a knot at the back of her neck. Both students had bare feet and when Eda collected them in turn they were silent with suppressed excitement.

Eda took them both by the hand, lowering their hoods as far as they could go, and they allowed themselves to be led, Toran more nervously than Ariana, who remained composed.

The hall they stopped in was quite small and quite private, which Ariana was grateful for. But it was filled to the brim with Shang warriors and a few other curious people who stood at the back. Ariana knew what was going to happen during the ceremony, having been present at other Namings. A table of masters sat at the front of the room. These changed every time, depending on who came or was nearby, except for one man; Janvi, the Shang Griffin. He was their unofficial leader and had made it his business to be father, teacher and judge to the warriors of the order. He ensured that he was present at every naming. Ariana knew that the Cheetah, Kaya, was there as well, as she had seen her in the Chapel of the Ordeal the night before. The others though, she could not recognise them by their voices or by the only part of their bodies she was able to see; their feet. 

A chair was pushed back, its legs scraping on the floor. 

"Warriors of Shang, we are gathered here today, by the consent of his majesty, King Roald of Tortall, to bring two new warriors into our order." The man's voice was deep and stern. "The Crown Prince of this Kingdom is present, as a representative of the King." Another chair was moved back and Ariana stepped back, confused as to what was happening, she hadn't been told that the Prince was to be present. She really hoped that she wasn't meant to say anything or that she would be introduced or have to curtsey. 

He began speaking to the assembled people, his voice clear.

"I thank you for coming today. I am honoured to be among such renowned warriors," A round of laughter and cheers met his words. As he continued, his voice became less formal and more natural. "Some of you may have noticed the two empty seats beside me. I asked for them to be here today in remembrance of one of you and one other. Liam Ironarm, the Shang Dragon came to Corus two years ago and I was fortunate to meet him at that time. From what I was told and what I have seen, he was a loyal friend, a brave man and a great fighter. The other," He swallowed and paused before speaking again

"For Lady Alanna of Trebond and Silvereves. She much admired your prowess and skill  in the fighting arts and even learnt some of your ways. If she could, I know she would be here beside me now, watching you all and trying to decide who to ask for training first." A low rumble of laughter swept through the room, most of the Shangs had heard the story of the palace battle. He faltered and waited for quiet once more before finishing.

"In their honour, I thank you for coming." He sat. 

Ariana was pushed forward by a hand in the small of her back. 

"We present to you Toran of Maren and Ariana of Tortall. They stand before you to be given their true names and natures in our eyes."

Ariana felt Toran move away from her side and move forward. 

Janvi continued to speak. 

"I present to you Toran, who has passed the tests placed upon him by his masters and has spent a year out of his homeland of Maren and has travelled the Eastern Lands. We bestow on him the title of the Shang Kestrel." A round of applause greeted the choice as Toran threw back his hood and smiled, nodding in agreement. He knelt to receive the medallion on a thick chain around his neck. The Shang insignia of a globe would be on one side, a picture of a kestrel on top of it, and on the other side would be engraved his name and the date. 

Ariana too nodded, she could see Toran as a Kestrel, he was slight in build and fast. He saw things, as a bird does, clearly and from all perspectives. It was now her turn. Her heart beat faster with excitement and anticipation.

"Ariana of Tortall, Come forward." She bowed and did so. "We have been informed that you have plans to carry on studying Shang,, to become a master of the fighting arts. Is this correct?"

She spoke quietly and respectfully in reply. 

"It was, my lord, until yesterday evening." A wave of hushed whispers swept around the hall as those nearest her repeated what they had heard to those further away. "I now intend to leave my training. The Chamber of the Ordeal showed me a task that I must undertake." 

The Griffin moved back, away from the girl to confer with the other masters sitting at the table. 

At length he returned. "Ariana, as your plans have changed so abruptly and without warning, we must reserve judgement on your rank until we have had a chance to discuss it. We shall reconvene here in one month's time." She bowed low, 

"I thank you my lord." She backed away, into the crowd. They parted behind her and let her pass through their ranks. 

When she pushed back the hood enough to see where she was going and to breathe easier, but enough for the ceremonies to be reserved, she was outside the hall. She saw Toran and Eda standing before her. Eda was comically tapping her foot on the floor, her arms crossed over her chest. 

"What?" Ariana asked, waiting for the inevitable storm to break over her head. The Wildcat did not disappoint her.

"You aren't continuing with your training? What in the Goddesses name changed your mind so suddenly? And, by Mithros, what possessed you not to tell us?"

When she paused her tirade long enough to draw a breath before restarting, Ariana and Toran exchanged a rueful glance over her head,. Both of them were taller than her, Toran was a head and a half taller, while Ariana was only an inch of two above the older woman. Together, they grabbed her arms, and pulled her into Ariana's room.

There she finally pulled the large hood off her head completely. Eda's wrath subsided when she saw the steely reserve and determination shining in her pupil's clear eyes.

"So where is the Chamber sending you?"

"Persopolis." She paused, her eye alighting on the sword lying on her dresser, then told them her true destination, "And the Black City."


	8. Chapter Six, Dark Shadows

**Chapter Six; Dark Shadows.**

Ariana had left the palace the next morning, very early, before everyone else was awake. Toran and Eda had accompanied her most of the way, but when they reached the Great Southern Desert they bade her farewell. The Wildcat loathed the heat of the desert and Toran, the new Kestrel, was going home to Maren for a while. 

She had entered the desert alone and had travelled on from there, staying at inns and riding her faithful horse by day.

But now she was in the only city built by the Bahzir. She was in no real hurry to go to the Black city, her only time constraint was the day she had to be back in Corus. Instead she has dedicated her time to exploring the city. 

Ariana had learned much, whilst she was here, about the nomadic tribesmen of the Bahzir. They kept themselves to themselves as much as possible, but she had found a friend in Ali Muhktab, the Voice of the Tribes and he had taken her around the city. She was regarded warily by Bahzir and Tortallan alike for she was dressed in the fashion of a Bahzir; a long, loose robe in pale pink, a colour she loathed, but it was comfortable and cool. She also wore a burnoose over her hair, but by night, as it was now, she wore breeches and shirt. She stood on top of the curtain wall, ignored by the guards for the most part. She leant dangerously far over the stone wall.

She breathed in a lungful of the clean, unsullied desert air. She rested her forearms on the stone beneath her and leant forwards, playing with the chain in her hands, Toran had slipped it to her before he had left. It was the medallion she should have received at her naming. She held it up before her now, dangling it before her eyes, the chain intertwined between her fingers. It slowly rotated, the moon glinting off its surfaces. The animal engraved on the gold was an immortal, as the very best fighters of Shang were known as. She might have been one if that bedamned Chamber of the ordeal hadn't shown her this city. She could have become the Shang Firebird. But now, she had another two weeks before she had to be in Corus and find her rank. 

Until then, she was enjoying her time away from the bustle of the capital.

A trumpet call from the North came to her ears. Lazily she walked around the wall until she reached the Northern Gate. A small procession was approaching along the rode. An older knight rode at the front, his shield dusty from the long and sandy road. But Ariana recognised him from Ali Muhktab's description; this was Sir Gregory of Meron, commander in chief of this city and Lord of fief Meron, better known as the Great Southern Desert. She put the medallion down as she leant out, trying to see the rest. More knights followed him; their shields were covered and hung from the saddles of their horses. As one looked up, Ariana moved back into the shadows. As she did so, unnoticed by her, the medallion she had put down was knocked off the wall by her sleeve. 

One of the knights heard the tinkling sound of it hitting the ground and dismounted. By the time he had found it by the light of the moon and picked it up, examining it, Ariana had gone from the wall. He pushed it deep into his pocket and then remounted his stallion, Darkness. Prince Jonathan then entered the city along with his friends and companions; Raoul of Goldenlake, Alexander of Tirragen and Gareth of Naxen. 

**Too short? Ok, I'm nice, have another….**

**And you can now vote in the Tortallian Heroes awards for your fave nominated story. Go to and vote!!!**

**HuntressDiana**


	9. Chapter Seven, Reminder of the past

**Chapter Seven, Reminders of the past.******

Am I nice now? Giving you an extra chapter?

A great banquet was held that evening in honour of the envoys' arrival from Corus. It seemed that they had been sent on a diplomatic mission with two purposes. One was to introduce Jonathan to the Bazhir, over whom he would rule one day. The second was to settle a dispute between two tribes, one who recognised the King and the other which didn't.

As they had entered the city it became silent. Not because of the lateness of the hour, for it was only an hour after dusk. The night came swiftly in the desert. The silence was due to the Bahzir. They hung out of the windows and over balcony walls, watching the Prince go by. No Tortallan dared to speak under such pressure; the only sounds in the city were the horses' hooves and the other animals, no human spoke. Except for one.

Ariana slipped up behind Ali Muhktab who stood on the castle's outer wall. 

"Why are they all so quiet?" She whispered in his ear, so quietly that her breath barely moved the air. 

"That is a complicated question." He said, his voice as soft as her own, "And the answer is just as complicated. I will explain later." 

She nodded and moved away along the narrow wall.

When he found her again she was eating dinner in her room. 

"Why aren't you at the banquet at the hall?" He asked. "I know you were invited."

"I didn't feel like it." She lifted her plate a little, drawing his attention to her simple meal. 

"Come." He offered her his hand to pull her up. She waved it away and got up by herself. Putting down her plate she took one last bite of the bread and cheese, washed it down with fruit juice then followed him unquestionably. 

She studied him from the back as they walked through the fort's corridors. He walked almost as softly as she did, neither one of them making more noise than that of one of the many cats that roamed this place. He wore an elaborate red coat that reached to his knees; it was embroidered and decorated with gold braiding in the shape of animals intertwined with each other. He did not wear a burnoose as she did, but had his hair slicked back, away from his face.

The route they took led them through corridors of the palace she had never trodden before. When they climbed a short flight of stairs and stopped in front of a door he pulled a set of keys from his belt purse.

"Only the governor of the castle has a key to this room." He said, showing her the key he meant before slipping it into the lock. As he withdrew it from the key hole she took it from him and examined it. It was heavy as she held it in her hand, in length it stretched from the heel of her hand, across her palm to the tip of her middle finger. The top was decorated with a circle of metal. Inside which was a depiction of the sun and in front of that were four thick lines.

Before she could ask what it was mean to be, he whisked the key away from her and pushed open the door. He didn't go in himself, but stepped back, holding the door open to allow her to enter. 

"I will be back soon," he promised, "But I fear I will have to lock you in this room."

She gave her permission; the door was old and made of wood with few metal reinforcements, if her need was great then she could knock it down without much difficulty. 

As she heard the lock click into position she turned around from the door for the first time since entering the room. 

Ariana gasped in awe at the sight that greeted her eyes. A colossal ball of ruby fire hung in the sky. The sun was huge and red as it began to slip below the horizon.  The ceiling of the room was only held up by four pillars that showed themselves as black lines against the circle of the sunset. The floor was scattered with sand that had been blown into this open room by the wind. She walked over to the pillars and wrapped an arm around the middle one and leaned out.

The warm wind embraced her gently, enveloping her in a soft current of moving air. With her spare hand she pulled her burnoose back up, over her head and low over her eyes so stop the grains of sand flying in the wind from entering her eyes.

She swung herself out into the open air once more, eyes firmly shut as she swung slightly from side to side, before pulling herself back and releasing the pillar to stroll over to the walls.  

They were covered in squares of coloured glass or stone. At this close distance there seemed to be no order to the fragmented colours, they were set in pretty patterns, if irregular. It wasn't until she stepped back a couple of paces that Ariana saw them condense into pictures. Many of these pictures showed the Bahzir and the Black City from her vision in the Chamber of the Ordeal.

Ariana heard the key turn in the lock and the soft pad of Muhktab's feet as he came into the room.

"Can I borrow the key once more please?" He nodded and pulled the key out of the lock and handed it to her. Then he stepped back out into the corridor once more and she heard a hushed conversation start up. But she ignored the talk and moved backwards, almost to the door. 

She held the key up at her eye level, and an arm's length away from her body, she squinted through the decorative handle. She pulled it back towards her and shifted her position and the angle of her arm until the four lines on the key matched up to the four pillars. The sun also lined up almost precisely with its miniature self in the metal. 

A cross, wrought of such thin wire that it was only visible against the crimson sunset, fell on a black dot in the middle of the sun. 

Hearing the door open again, she lowered the key and pointed at the speck on the horizon.

"Is that the Black city?" She asked.

"It is indeed." Ali Muhktab answered calmly.

"You knew." She accused, even though her eye remained firmly upon the far away city. 

He nodded, knowing that she couldn't see him he then added.

"Yes. It is given to the Voice of the tribes to know a few things of the future that concern the Bahzir." He circled Ariana, his eyes, usually half lidded, were wide open and piercing. "And some of the past."

He eyes widened and she swung away from the Voice and turned to leave, only to find herself confronted by four men. They all wore shirts and loose breeches although they also wore formal tunics in fief colours. 

They stared at her curiously and she ducked her head to avoid those stares. Ali Muhktab stepped between them and smoothly introduced them all.

"Ariana, these are Knights of Tortall. Sir Gareth of Naxen, Prince Jonathan of Conté, Sir Alexander of Tirragen and Sir Raoul of Goldenlake."

Ariana cut him off, bowing at the waist, hands flat on her thighs, instead of the flourishing court bow.

"Sir Knights. Your highness."

The bowed to her in return, not quite sure of what to make of her. She moved away from them, back to the pillars, looking out across the landscape and watching as the red rays left the desert sand and night began to spread across the sky. 

They watched her for a few seconds as she turned her back to them all, putting a hand on both of the two central pillars. She held herself so rigidly, her back taut that none of them thought it wise to approach her. Instead Raoul asked Muhktab to continue his re telling of the fall of the Bahzir and the flight from the Black city. They settled themselves on the floor, ready to listen.

"The Bahzir were driven out of the city many hundreds of years ago, when the Nameless ones grew powerful on our souls. We burned them and our beautiful city to trap them within a circle of fire, the one thing above all others that they fear. Nothing is left there now, except the stone of the buildings we once lived in. 

"Occasionally a young Bahzir strays too close to the city and fall under the spell of the Nameless ones. We either let them go or keep them here, and they starve themselves. Either way we loose them forever."

"Are you sure they don't just get bored of living in the desert and go to another city?" Gary asked.

"We've brought our children up to be honest."

Jon noticed the girl at the window had turned her head around halfway, to hear the conversation better. At the older man's comment her head had snapped back around.

"No matter what they do." The Voice of the Tribes continued. "We forgive them." All the knights noticed how his words were directed at the girl by the pillars and how disquieted she was by them. They exchanged glances with each other and shifted awkwardly as they listened. 

"No matter what they do. They can kill, they can steal, they can betray others who trusted them, and still we forgive them."

She spun around on her heel.

"That is enough!" She spat at him the stormed out of the sunset room. 

Muhktab sank, defeated, into a crouch, staring at the door which swung to and fro in her wake. When Alex coughed slightly he roused himself out of his reverie and looked at them.

"I am sorry you had to see that. She has some… issues that she needs to deal with. Unfortunately she refuses even to acknowledge them."

The men nodded in agreement, they had noticed.

They bade the governor of the castle good night and parted, going to their rooms. 


	10. Chapter Eight, Pheonix rising

**Chapter Eight, Pheonix rising.**

**Hmmm, cryptic titles now. They will make more sense later, and more are coming….**

Lord Thom of Trebond stood at the top of a long flight of curving stairs, a heavy book cradled in his arms. He stepped down to the first step and took in a deep breath, he was not some weak willed student. He was a master of the Mithran light, the youngest in centuries. He had enough power to rival that of the Earth shaker; Denmarie. 

He walked down to the room below the palace, his back held stiffly upright.

The frigid air hit his lungs like a knife, down here below the earth everything was so much colder. 

He entered the room, under an archway and a gate which was inscribed with the verse.

_'Here lie those who saved our realm,_

_Here lie those of brave hearts,_

_Here lie those who are blessed indeed._

_Here lie the Heroes of Tortall._

_In the Chamber of Heroes'_

Those nearest the door lay in stone coffins, and elaborate tombs, but as Thom passed down the ranks, the coffins disappeared and the men now lay there, in finery and with their weapons lying at their feet. They were preserved by the art of the Priests of the Black God. Thom could not help but shiver; there men had died hundreds of years ago, and every one of them looked like they had only stopped breathing a day ago. The enchantment placed upon them gave them a youthful appearance and an unetheral quality to their faces. There were no lines upon their faces, although some of them had obviously been old when they died. Their white hair did not speak of weakness and decrepit men past their prime, but of wisdom and strength.

The younger ones' skin was golden from the sun, and their hair was shiny and untangled. Although he could see slightly short patches underneath where mourners had taken a lock of hair for remembrance. 

But he was not here to gawp at these dead heroes; he only had a short amount of time before his plan would be futile. He had waited a year for this moment, and he only had a short window of time when it could work. If that eluded him, then another five years would have to pass before the opportunity could come again. And he was not willing to allow this agony to continue for that long. 

He hadn't seen his sister's body as it had been when she had died, he had been kept away and not told the sad news until an hour or so after her death, when her body was cold and all traces of her life force had fled. He had approached her as she lay in state in one of the greatest rooms the palace had. 

She had been dressed in a white dress, and her red hair was somehow paler, less vibrant than it had been in life. Her skin, usually creamy golden, was white and blank. No colour traced her skin except for the red wounds she had received. They showed up starkly against the white. She looked quiet, at peace and slightly resigned. No expression graced her face, her lips were slack and her eyes closed. He had not been able to bring himself to look at her for long, instead he had been forced to leave her, before breaking down. Why? Why had she been taken from him when he had only just found her again? Fate deals a cruel blow when you find a lost loved one, and then with only a glance aside snatches them away from you again. Although he was thought of as cold and unfeeling, it was his defence mechanism, shove yourself away from the world and you can't get hurt.

He was along side the body of his sister now, and he took in every detail greedily, as he did every time he came here. She was the only woman lying in the Chamber of heroes and she was at the very end. She wore the same white dress as before, with a broken crossbow at her feet and several daggers. He moved up to her head and straightened the silver tiara she wore. Alanna would have hated that, she was never keen on fancy clothes when he had known her. In his many talks with the Prince and Cooper, Thom had discovered his sister's life after her banishment and it seemed that she still hadn't liked the frippery court ladies adorned themselves with.

He bent down and kissed her cheek gently.

"I'm going to bring you back Alanna. We're going to reclaim what was stolen from us."

He kneeled on the floor beside her tomb, before taking her hand in his and drawing a knife with an amethyst in the hilt. He cut a gasp across his palm, wincing in pain before doing the same  to his sister and squeezing the blood out of the wound. Clasping the blood tight in a vial, he left the chamber and ran to the grand hall.

There he knelt on the floor on an outside balcony, where she was reported to have died. He drew a circle of protection on the floor, large enough to encompass him and most of the balcony floor. 

Slowly, as if every drop were precious myrrh, he dripped the blood on the flag stone before him, near a small scorch mark and shaped it into an arcane symbol.

"Blood to Blood.

Kin to Kin." He muttered.

"Take of me, and free the dead from the realms.

Once lived, now dead, now live again."

He switched to another language that had died out with the Old Ones and continued chanting until a purple flash lit the night around them.

Thom gasped, and fell forwards as he felt his Gift being drained from him. He continued his chant resolutely as his breath came short. Abruptly another power came into him, one that was familiar to him, but odd and different. It was another's Gift he realised.

_'Yes!' _He thought _'Alanna's Gift is returning!'_

He felt that power grow, and then unexpectedly stop, the spell was complete. As he collapsed, he sent his senses out over the palace; no one had awoken and seen him.

And below the ground, a body began to stir.

**Another cliff-hanger for you my dears!**

**HuntressDiana**


	11. Chapter Nine, Immortal Battle

**Chapter Eight, Immortal ****Battle******

Jonathan was awakened a few hours after he had fallen asleep by a door closing nearby. He pulled the covers off his body and walked to the door, pulling it open and looking out along the passageway. Down the corridor, he saw a figure slip around the corner, descending the stairs. 

Slowly, thinking hard, he went back into his room and stood there for a second. Then he began dressing, pulling a pair of dark coloured breeches and shirt on, over his loincloth.

He slipped his feet into his boots, lacing them up swiftly, then picked up his sword and scabbard from a chair and left. 

When he found the mysterious person again, it was in he dark stables. It was near impossible to pick out anything in this gloom but outlines.

A girl was saddling a horse, that much he could see from the moon's light. Her face was obscured but her body was lit dimly by the silvery light. She wore her long hair back in a plait and she wore a sword belted at her side. Apart from that though, she bore no weapons.

"What are you doing?" He asked. 

She whirled around, drawing her sword as she did so.

"Who is it?"

"Jonathan of Conté."

"Your highness! What are you doing down here?"

"The same could be asked of you." He pointed out. "Who are you?"

She let out a bitter laugh,

"So short a memory? I was in the sunset room of Persopolis castle only this evening.." She swung herself up into the saddle.

"And why is a Bahzir girl riding off towards the Black City in the middle of the night?" He caught hold of the bridle, stopping her from moving on.

"I am not a Bahzir Prince Jonathan. You might want to check your sources again."

With a flick of her wrist she freed the leather from his grip, leaving his palm stinging and red. Without looking back she rode from the stable and onto the street.

Jon stared after her, before running to saddle his own horse, Darkness and following her. He caught up with her as she rode away from the light of a guard post. She had bribed the man to let her through, as Jon rode past he saw the man bite on the coin she had given him, to test it wasn't fake.

He set Darkness in a gallop until he caught up with her.

"If you're not Bahzir, why were you wearing a burnoose, and how did Ali Muhktab know so much about you?"

She sighed and answered his questions. "As to the first; it's cooler and it keeps the sand out of my face. For the second Muhktab is a nosy old man who pokes his nose in more peoples' business than he has a right to."

"So who are you?" The Prince persisted.

"I am called Ariana and I am a fighter of Shang. I took my ordeal in Corus a week or two ago."

"You were brought there by the Wildcat?"

"Yes, she was one of my teachers."

"Who was the other?"

"Liam Ironarm, The Dragon, and then the Panther."

"Did he tell you of Lady Alanna?" Jon leant forward, willing her answer to be 'yes'.

"No. He never mentioned her name. I don't think he ever mentioned her. Surely I would remember if she was as legendary as you say." He tone was harsh and he changed the subject.

"Why weren't you named then, when I was there?"

"There was something I had to do first, I couldn't stay on for another year." She said simply.

"And what was that?"

She nudged her horse ahead of his and said simply, over her shoulder.

"This."

They rode the rest of the way to the Black city in silence; Ariana rebuffing any attempts Jon made at conversation until at last he gave up.

She spoke again when they reached the gates of the city.

"You shouldn't come with me."

He shrugged.

"I'm going to anyway."

"Fine. Leave your horse out here."

They both dismounted and left the horses to roam on loose pickets before walking towards the city.

They entered the city, and Ariana noticed the carvings once more, in the vision she hadn't seen them clearly, so now she examined them. They were exquisitely done, it was true, but of ghastly creatures, mixtures of animal and human. She traced the shape of one who was half bird, half man. 

Silently, in awe, not liking to make a lot of noise, they explored the city. Occasionally they split up, only to find each other soon after. 

Eventually, after turning a sharp corner, they found themselves standing on a plain sheet of black stone. No light hit it, the night was thick, unnaturally so; they could see no colours instead of black, white and grey. 

Ariana swallowed, it looked like they were above a deep chasm, covered by a thin sheet of glass. Together, shoulder by shoulder, they stepped on to the square and crossed to the centre. A building stood in the middle of the square. It too was plain of carvings. Instead the steps leading up to the doorway was lined with gold. Slowly, feeling insignificant against the massive building, the two climbed the steps.

When they reached the doors, more pictures were carved into the wood. These pictures were humanoid, but taller than any normal human. Lines of fire swirled around their bodies, making their loose garments swirl around them. For some reason, the artist had left their faces blank, only the curve of their cheeks and noses gave any shape to their heads.

Jon pushed one of the large doors open, and stepped through. As soon as Ariana set a foot inside the temple, for a temple it was, she jumped and let out a small cry of surprise.

"What is it?" Jonathan asked

"My sword- it's shaking." She laid a hand on the hilt to control it and moved past him, into the darkened building.

A cube block of black stone let out a greenish yellow light that reflected off the smooth walls, illuminating the room around the stone.

"That must be the altar." Jon whispered in Ariana's ear, he saw her nod in front of him.

Suddenly, a blinding flash made the two raise their arms instinctively and blink. When their vision cleared, they saw ten men and women grouped around the altar.

These were the men and women Jon and Ariana had seen on the door leading into the temple. Ariana know saw why the artist had neglected to add their faces. They were brilliantly beautiful, so much so that it hurt to look at them for long. They were very tall, both she and Jon had to crane their necks to see their heads.

"Brothers. Sisters. Food has come from the north to us." One of the women said, staring intently at the pair.

"But they are so young, and so small." Another said, looking yearningly at them.

"Silence!" The tallest woman said, "Step aside."

"But Ylanda…"

Jon interrupted their argument.

"What are you?"

All of their attention was not focused on Ariana and him now. They stood side by side, but neither dared take their eyes off the things before them.

"We are the Ysandir." The largest male spoke. "I am Ylon, the oldest and most powerful."

A white haired woman crept around Ylon and stared at them intently.

"He thinks his father, the King will ride in and save them. Foolish child, by the time they would get here, you will be nothing but dust and we shall be gone." She purred. Ariana ignored the words and waited for her to come closer. When she was reaching out to stroke Jon's face, less than a foot away, Ariana spun and kicked her full in the head. The Ysandir fell back, stunned by the power of the blow. Shock waves reverberated up her leg, but she ignored it, drawing the sword from her side and slashing it down. As soon as the immortal's head was severed, her body vanished with a flash and a smell like sulphur. 

Another two, a male and a female, threw themselves at Ariana. As she fought them, she could hear Jonathan drawing his sword and chanting a spell at the same time.

Ariana kicked on twice in one fluid motion, leading with one leg then hitting with the other. When she landed she stuck her sword deep into his heart, assuming he had one of course, before bringing it back to the front and slashing the woman's chest. Both disappeared within three seconds of each other.

"So you can be killed." She said, barely breathless.

Ylanda swayed through the rest of the immortals. Ariana's sword flashed pure white light and she fell back

"You have their sword"!" She hissed. "How did you get that?"

Ariana was a bit unnerved herself by her sword's antics but she wasn't about to show it as she smirked at the woman.

"It was a gift." She shifted to face the rest of the Ysandir. Jonathan was building a wall of blue flames between himself and the Ysandir and was continuing to chant as he did so.

Suddenly Ariana felt a foreign presence in her mind, she yelled and the prince sent a flash of sapphire lightning at Ylanda. She was thrown backwards, away from Ariana, who hurried to his side.

"Be careful." He chided her. "What happened?"

Ariana rubbed her forehead.

"I wish I knew."

Ylon was pulling his mate to her feet as the Immortals threw themselves at Jon's barrier. He winced as they hit, but the barrier remained strong and three Ysandir died.

A horrible sound was coming from Ylanda as she laughed uncontrollably, the grating laughter hurt their ears.

"I have lived a long time little Phoenix, but I have never touched a being with so much pain and so many secrets." She pointed at Jonathan. "Princeling, see your companion's true face." She turned on Ariana and hissed, her voice filled with venom. "Murderer!"

Ariana only had a second to register the words and to shrink back, away from her and from the truth before it was too late.

A burst of green energy erupted from Ylanda's palm and that of Ylon. It tore through the barrier and hit Ariana in the chest.

She was propelled backwards and hit the floor hard. Coughing as he lungs worked to overcome the shock, she rolled over on her side, then onto her back again. As she lay on the floor, she lifted her legs and flipped up, into a standing position, hands up, ready to defend herself. She found herself wearing soft, well worn breeches in soft fawn, often mended and a blue shirt.

Jon stared at her, his eyes wide and his face pale. He looked as if he had seen a ghost.

The girl, sword back in her hand, turned to face him. By the light of her sword he saw her bright violet eyes for the first time. They were wide and filled with an emotion he could only call fear. 

"Alanna?" He breathed.

She tossed her long red hair back over her shoulder and nodded slowly, her eyes filled with emotion.


	12. Chapter Ten, Rising from the ashes

**Chapter Ten; Rising from the ashes.**

**Oh come on, you really thought I would kill Alanna?**

**I suppose I should add another disclaimer here; Alanna does not belong to me, she belongs to Tamora Pierce. **

****

Jonathan was astounded. This was Alanna standing in front of him, he was sure of it. There was something about the way she carried herself, her fighting technique, that reminded him of the Princess of the Rogue he had known two years ago. How he had missed the similarities before he didn't know.

She had matured greatly in those two years. She was slightly taller and her face had lost some of its baby fat, making her cheekbones more prominent.

He walked over to her, still in a daze. He cupped her cheek in his hand and stared deeply into her eyes. They were still as expressive as ever, when she allowed them to be, for now they were more guarded than before. He could see the emotional scars in her glittering orbs. She moved her face gently against his palm and opened her mouth to say something.

But then a crackling scream caught their attention, both their heads turned to see the remaining immortals. Four were left, facing them. 

"Later." Alanna said. "I will explain everything later."

Jon nodded and watched as she spun away into battle. He began building up a wall of power again, chanting the verses under his breath. 

"What do they fear?" She called back as another one died.

He wracked his brains, Ali Muhktab had told them that only that evening.

"Fire!" He yelled. "The Bahzir burnt them out with fire!" Alanna nodded, and with a quick backflip propelled herself from the battle.

"Do you have flint and tinder?" She asked hopefully. When he shook his head she sighed regretfully. "I didn't think so. It would have been far too easy." Slowly, rusty from years of not using her Gift, she pulled a ball of her magic into her palm. She threw it at two Ysandir, Ylon and Ylanda who were forming some sort of horrible magic between their bodies. It shocked them a little and the green light faltered, but then burned brightly once more. She reached back and found Jonathan's hand and clasped it tightly, feeling his fingers curl around her hand as well. Sparks of sapphire and amethyst came from the two of them as Jon continued the verses for the wall of power. Alanna joined in, stumbling over the now unfamiliar magical words.  

"Jon?" She indicated the sickly yellow ball which was growing fast. He would know more about this kind of warfare than she. 

She kept up the chant, getting more confident as she did so, holding the shield up as he murmured foreign words and slid his hand through the barrier as if it were water. Blue sparks shot from his fingers and ensnared the ball, throwing it into the other Ysandir. Then all Alanna could see was the white light the Immortal died in.

That left the two tallest ones, and the oldest. They too hand joined hands.

"Ak-hoft!" Ylon spat out. Their wall gave one last spark as they pushed more of their gifts into it, but then faded away; leaving them defenceless. 

"We are the first of the Ysandir." Ylon boasted.

"You're the last now as well." Alanna said. Her comment enraged the two even more as she took her sword up in her left and hand and gripped Jon's hand tighter as the Immortals stepped forward.

"The rest were young and foolish. We will not be so easy to defeat." Ylanda hissed. She stood behind her mate, waiting for something. As she stood there, her hand crept up her body to a chain hanging around her neck. "We have gathered power to us in more ways than you will ever know." Before her hand closed over the pendant, Alanna saw what it was. It was a large yellow stone, inside which burned a green fire. Her eyes darted over to Ylon, searching his body and Alanna saw he wore one on his wrist, but reversed. It was a green stone with a burning yellow heart.

From his jewel, a black cloud of smoke was emerging. Alanna leant into Jon and pointed out the jewels to him. He nodded and said.

"Their power sources?"  

"Possibly."

When the black cloud was as large as Alanna and shot through with green and yellow sparks, it split into two, half of it floated over to Ylanda. Both clouds condensed into long, razor sharp swords. 

Alanna and Jon separated as far as their hands would allow them to. Alanna found herself facing off against Ylanda. The Immortal held her weapon awkwardly, unsure of how she was meant to use it.

"This is going to be fun." Alanna thrust her sword towards the woman, who leapt back, dragging her companion with her, hampering him and giving Jon the advantage.  The two humans fought far better together, having practised with each other before. 

It was only size that kept them from taking the Ysandir from taking them down. Their skills were undoubtedly the best. 

Alanna grew tired of the exchange and ducked Ylanda's clumsy blow, knocking the blade away. Then she sprang into the air and with one powerful kick, she forced her foot into the Ysandir's throat, crushing her windpipe and shattering her jewel in one blow. The immortal staggered back, trying to keep the gem in one piece, but a sliver fell out. Alanna fell back, blinded as Ylanda died. 

Her acrobatics had hampered Jon a bit, so she took a step back and followed his every move, giving him complete freedom of movement to battle the male. Ylon howled out his misery at his mate's death and Jon took advantage of that, hacking at his torso and arm. Finally he smashed the stone on his wrist by a stroke of his sword. 

Alanna and Jon were both thrown back by the backlash, but they kept hold of each other's hand, although it felt like their arms were being wrenched from their sockets. When they picked themselves up, they were still clasping the other's hand.

"How are you?" Alanna asked.

"A bit stiff." They both laughed at the obvious understatement and leant on each other as they left the hall and stepped out of the doorway. Alanna looked up as a drop of water landed on her arm. More raindrops fell on her upturned face as they stood there.

"Typical!" She shrugged, slicking her now wet hair back from her face as the torrential downpour continued. "It's raining."

She looked up at Jon and her smile faltered slightly, as she saw the bewildered expression on his face.

"Jon…" She sighed. "I owe you an explanation."

He nodded, rocking back on his heels, then taking a step closer to her.

"You do. But first…" He bent his head down and brushed his lips against hers. He pulled away for an instant before kissing her again. 

He smiled against her mouth as he felt her take the last step in towards him, so their bodies touched, thighs, hips and chests. The kiss deepened and Alanna suddenly felt her back pushed against the wall just behind her. She curled her hands around the back of his neck, and his hands threaded into her long, wet hair, pulling her even closer to him.

They broke apart for air and Jon moved back a step, but took one of her hands up in both of his.

"Alanna." He laughed, suddenly in relief. He felt as if a great weight had been lifted from his chest and the world had suddenly taken on bright new meanings. The rain seemed colder, more refreshing. The air was crisper and he savoured every breath that he took into his lungs. Jon released Alanna's hand and caught hold of her waist, bringing her flush up against him.

"Mithros, how I missed you."

She looked up at him again; she had never seen him this way. He was so carefree and… giddy.

"I missed you too Jon, every day."

She rose up to kiss him again. It was a passionate kiss and they let out their relief at finding each other again, and all their emotions out into each other. Alanna felt his hands beginning to roam her body. She rested her own hands on his broad chest as one of his hands cradled the back of her head, and the other skimmed her waist, her stomach and, lightly, her breasts. 

She broke away gently and rested her head on his chest, enjoying the rhythmic sound of his heartbeat in her ear. He sighed in contentment, and stroked her long hair gently. She suddenly felt his hands clasp her waist firmly. He lifted her up easily as, embracing her tightly against his upper body, he spun her around, so her legs flew in the air. She laughed out loud, his giddiness was infectious.

When they both had calmed down and she was back on her own feet, they climbed down the steps of the temple, hand in hand, so close that their shoulders were pressed against each other, and went to find their horses.

When they reached the outer limits of the city, they mounted in silence and began riding towards a distant oasis where they could spend the remainder of the night.

When they dismounted and began to unsaddle the horses, Jon asked

"Where's Moonlight?" The mare Alanna had been riding was the colour of chestnut and with a white star on her forehead.

"She's in Persopolis. She cast a shoe yesterday, when I was out riding her."

They released the horses to graze and drink and the two humans walked over to the small pool in the oasis, carrying the saddle blankets. They spread them on the ground, ignoring the dampness and sat down close.

Alanna struggled internally; this was going to be hard to explain. Jonathan's slight touch reassured her slightly. 

"That body you buried?" She stared tentatively, "That wasn't me." She snorted at that, "Obviously." 

"So who was it then?" He asked.

"Lucy, one of my friends from the Dove, she was a healer too and she was the one who danced with Gary, I think." She sighed and sat upright. "Maybe I should start at the beginning.

"When I killed Duke Roger, in the palace, he didn't die that quickly, he had something to say to me first. He told me some things, some awful things. 

"Then I saw that I had killed Liam. Even if I hadn't put a sword through his heart I had sent him to his death. I had ordered him to break the circle and that killed him.

"What he said struck hard then. I thought Thom and Raquel were dead as well, and hey wouldn't have been at the palace if it wasn't for me. Then a man found me and told me you had been shot and Gary and Raoul were down as well. That was the last straw.

"I found Lucy near death; she'd been shot through the back with an arrow. I tried to save her but she was too far gone. So I hugged her, thanked her and placed a glamour over her to make her look like me. I thought it would be easier for everyone to believe that I was dead instead of the truth; that I had run away."

"You fooled us all." Jon said. He knew he should be angry at her for tricking him and putting him through all the pain he had suffered, but there was so much love and relief in his heart there was not room for anger. "And only Master Raquel and the Dragon died. The rest of us are fine."

"I know. I saw you all at the funeral."

"That must have been strange, attending your own funeral."

"It was. It hurt so much to see you all grieving for me. I wanted to go to you, but I couldn't. So I checked that you were all well and whole, and then left."

"Would you ever have come back?"

"I never intended to. I went to Maren and learned Shang there for most of the last years. It usually takes much longer to learn all the techniques but I already knew a lot. They took me in mostly because I was Liam's last pupil and I worked night and day to become Shang this quickly. 

"I chose to take the Ordeal instead of spending a year travelling, and that made me return to Corus."

"You hid yourself well."

"I dyed my hair brown before I went to Shang and whenever possible I hid my eyes. Cloaks and burnooses were very helpful."

"But Shang doesn't accept Gifted students." He pointed out.

Alanna looked guilty.

"I didn't tell them that I had the Gift. I drained it the day before so they wouldn't detect it."

"You really would never have come back?" He asked again, trying to get a proper answer.

She shook her head regretfully, avoiding his gaze.

"I longed to sometimes. I nearly did twice, got myself all packed up and ready, but then… I thought you'd hate me if you knew."

He lifted her face up, so she saw his serious blue eyes.

"I could never hate you Alanna." He gathered her into his arms, relishing the feel of her being there and with him. Slowly he felt his shirt getting damp as she fought against her tears. He released her a little and lay down, pulling her on top of him.

"I knew you were all doing fine without me. Toran's a real gossip and loves talking about Court." 

She felt Jon tense beneath her and rolled off him so she could lie on her elbows.

"Were you and Toran… lovers?" She could hear the effort it took for him to say that calmly.

"Great Goddess no!" Her horrified look convinced him. "He's just a friend. A close friend granted, but nothing more than that."

"You don't know how good it is to hear you say that." 

She laughed softly then grew silent, thinking.

She was glad Jon had seen her again, and that she had been able to talk to him. But now she was trapped once more. She couldn't leave him again, she had missed him so much, and especially after he had revealed his feeling for her at midwinter. Now that she knew the feelings she had held for him were reciprocated, it made her choice so much harder.

She felt his breathing deepen as his chest rose and fell rhythmically beneath her arm. 

His grip on her waist slackened and she sat up to stare down at his face. She had travelled quite widely in her years away from Tortall and she had still never seen a handsomer man.

She could leave now if she wished, she could slip away, leaving no trace, and leave him sleeping here, only to wake up alone. He would probably think that he had dreamt her.

"Damn you Jon." She whispered gently. "You've only been back in my life for an hour and already you're turning it upside down.

Now she had to face her past, and that meant all her old companions, who she had deserted and hurt. Her foster father George, her brother Thom, Gary, Raoul and Alex.

Alanna lay back down again, her head pillowed on Jonathan's shoulder and she gently tugged on his hand. Obligingly he embraced her tightly against his side.

And Alanna fell asleep, for the first time in years she was not plagued by nightmares.

Jon opened his eyes and stared up at the stars. A smile formed on his lips and he whispered, softly so as not to wake the sleeping girl at his side , into the air.

"Thank you."

**Reaya, Cherry Alanna and Disco Duck- that was for you!**

**By the way Disco Duck what did you call me? I'm confused…**

**Remember what I said before… do not flame me for pairings! In fact, just don't flame me at all. I'm sorry if you are disappointed, but A/G will not work at this point. For one thing, Alanna thinks of him as her father.**

**A/G fans, I will write an ending for you. It will have to be how it went in the books, A/J then A/G. So please don't moan at me!**

**Ask any questions you have in a review and I will explain all in an author's note.**

**What did you think? Let me know…**

**HuntressDiana**


	13. Chapter Eleven, Drawing back the veil

**Chapter Eleven, Drawing back the veil.**

****

When Jon awoke, he found his limb comfortably intertwined with Alanna's. He breathed out in relief. She was still here, this wasn't a dream. He was lying on his side, one arm draped over Alanna's waist. Her shirt had ridden up some time during the night and her stomach was exposed to his gaze. Her skin was slightly tanned and the flesh was firm and taut from constant exercise. Blushing slightly, he used his free hand to tug her shirt down into a respectable position. 

This woke her up and she stirred, throwing an arm across her eyes to fend of the bright morning sunlight. As her eyes adapted she moved her arm and her eyes blinked open, seeing Jon smiling down at her, she grinned back. Alanna yawned once, covering her mouth with the back of her hand. She stretched herself out; reddening a bit when she discovered one of her legs was thrown over Jonathan's thigh.

The pair looked at each other and laughed. Jon stood, pulling her up with him. She combed her hair awkwardly with her fingers.

"I didn't think we'd be staying the night." She admitted wryly.

The two horses were at the Oasis, drinking deeply from the pool. Alanna looked longingly at the cool water. "I could do with a wash." She made him turn around. "No peeking!"

The water was freezing cold, but very refreshing. As she washed, Jon looked out across the desert.

"We need to be back in the city soon. Lord Martin is going to throw a fit when he discovers we are both gone. He'll probably think you've kidnapped me or something."

Alanna wrapped herself in one of the blankets, wincing at the rough feel and walked up to him.

"Ali Muhktab will know where we are. He knew or," she amended, "Guessed something of who I really was and what I was going to do." She jerked her head back at the pool. "Your turn."

He nodded, when Alanna was dry she slipped back into her clothes and sat, as he had done, her eyes fixed on the horizon, while Jon splashed about in the water.

Suddenly a cloud of dust caught her eye. She had disregarded it as a sandstorm before, but now it was getting closer to the oasis and she could see moving shapes and glints of metal within it.

"Jon!" He began to get out of the pool. "You might want to get changed. We have company."

Within the minutes she was over by the horses, finishing saddling them and cinching the straps tight around their bellies. When Jon emerged from the bushes, wearing only breeches and pulling his shirt on over his head, she tossed him his sword belt and sheathed sword.

They mounted and rode out a little way into the desert.

"Do you have any idea who they might be?" Jon asked.

She shrugged, "Not a clue. Perhaps hill men or maybe Bahzir. Either way we're most likely in for a good fight." Alanna drew her sword and her mare shifted nervously from side to side beneath her. The girl bent over her neck, keeping her sword out of the mare's view and whispered comforting noises in her ear. The horse calmed slightly and Alanna sat upright, sighing. The mare was extremely skittish and obviously not bred for fighting; she would be a disadvantage in the fight.

The men inside the cloud of sand became more distinct. They were not the rough, ragged hill men raiders, but Bahzir Tribesmen. Alanna and Jon relaxed slightly; the desert men were honourable to a fault.

"They're not very well armed." Jon observed.

Alanna peered closer at the group, who were now only a few hundred yards away.

"Wait Jon! I recognise some of them from Persopolis."

As the Bahzir caught sight of them and their drawn swords, they slowed to a trot.

"They don't look threatening." Alanna noted. "They've got their swords away."

Cautiously, the pair rode to greet them. When they were a few feet away from the leader they halted their horses,

"It is them!" One man jumped from his saddle and ran, light footed across the sand towards them. "Do you remember me?"

Alanna looked down at his up turned face.

"Yes, you were the Guard I paid to let us leave the city."

A proud smiled spread across his face.

"She remembers me!" 

Jon and Alanna exchanged confused glances. 

She scanned the group of a dozen men until she recognised one, and then called him forward.

"Nakn Ibn Nazzir, what is going on here?"

He came forward from the group, leading a golden horse. Alanna dismounted instantly,

"Moonlight!" She went to her mare and caressed her neck. The mare whickered with pleasure and nuzzled her mistress' hair.

Laughing, Alanna explained to the others,

"She always hated the smell of the hair dye I used. It made her sneeze."

The mare was saddled, but in the most lavishly decorated gear Alanna had ever seen. The leather was soft and supple and very well tooled. Around the edges precious stones, in blue and green, were set, winking in the bright sunlight. The stirrups were pulled up to the edge of the saddle, and when she released them, Alanna saw the metal was gleaming and engraved with strange characters. The bridle was decorated in much the same way. After examining these, Alanna stood upright, utterly bemused.

"What is going on here?"

"You are the Burning Bright One." All the men bowed deeply to her as she stood before them. 

Alanna raised an eyebrow and looked at Jon, feeling uncomfortable. He dismounted and walked over to join her, resting one of his hands on her hip, his arm looped around her waist. 

When they saw the Prince next to her, all the men prostrated themselves on the sandy floor.

"Please get up." Alanna asked, she felt uneasy about these warriors bowing to her. To Jonathan, she could understand. He was their future King. But bowing to her? That was not right. 

She sought out Ibn Nazzir again.

"What is going on?"

"The Voice of the Tribes has told us that you have freed the Bahzir from the curse of the Black City and the plague of the Nameless Ones. You are the Burning Bright one, and you," he turned to Jon. "Are the Night master."

Alanna elbowed Jon in the stomach when he didn't reply.

"Say something!" She hissed; diplomacy was not her strong suit.

"I suppose they are right." He whispered close to her ear. "We did kill the Ysandir."

"And now they think we are the heroes of legend who were prophesied aeons ago!"

She felt him shrug,

"Maybe we are." He raised his voice and spoke to the waiting tribesmen. "We did kill the Ysandir." Seeing their shivers at the name, he quickly amended, "The Nameless Ones."

"In that case you are the heroes of legend."

Alanna looked at Jon, a slight smirk on her face. He read her lips as she whispered,

"Told you so."

"Please, ride with us now." Ibn Nazzir invited. "We head for Persopolis."

With a nod, the two mounted their horses. This time Alanna was seated on Moonlight's back, and lead the other mare behind her on a lead rein.

The Bahzir men formed a circle around them; always keep a respectful distance of a yard away from the pair. Alanna was slightly unnerved by this treatment. Jon however seemed perfectly at ease. When he noticed her discomfort, he reached over the gap between them and took her hand. And so the two rode into Persopolis.

Crowds of silent Bahzir people filled the streets. The Tortallan knights looked on curiously.

"So Jon and the Shang girl are back." Gary commented. "What was her name again?

"Ariana." Alex replied. "Or something like that." He sat lazily in the small window seat, watching the city gates. "Here they come now."

"Apparently the two of them defeated the monsters of the Black City, or so Ali Muhktab tells us. How he knows that is beyond me though." Raoul said.

All three men walked over to the largest window in the room and peered out. The Bahzir were as silent as ever. They saw Jon first, riding on Darkness through the large gates.

"He seems to be quite close to the Shang girl." Gary noted. They saw as she rode in on a golden horse that their hands were clasped and their horses walked close together.

This comment made the others look down at their friend's companion more closely. They were indeed holding hands and as they watched, the girl leant closer into Jon and whispered something in his ear. He laughed in reply and even that quiet sound came clearly, through the silence, to their ears.

"Very cosy." Alex remarked wryly. "Shall we go and meet this girl who has finally made him get over Alanna?"

Raoul nodded slowly.

"She must be very special to do that. You know how heart broken he was when she died."

As they rode through the city, their horses moving at a slow trot, the Bahzir people bowed and prostrated themselves in the road. Children were lifted onto adults' shoulders so they could see the pair clearly.

Alanna leant closer to Jon.

"I get the feeling I am going to have to leave this city fast. I don't know how much more of this bowing I can take."

He laughed at her comment and squeezed her hand before releasing it.

Alanna felt a pang at the loss of his large warm hand around her own. But she reprimanded herself. She wasn't some foolish girl in love with her Prince. Although the last bit was probably true, she thought, she was not a lovelorn girl.

They finally reached the palace and as soon as the gates of the courtyard were shut behind them, the crowd burst out into excited chatter. They listened as several women, young by the sound of their voices, judges how good the son of the Northern King and the Lady Storm looked together.

Alanna blushed slightly, then led Moonlight into the stable and was relieved at how the temperature dropped. It was an excruciatingly scorching day and she had been so hot outside. A cool wind blew through the stables, a gift no doubt from a draught in the palace. She heard Jon begin to unsaddle Darkness and as she turned to do the same service to Moonlight, she was blocked by a shocked Bahzir.

"No Lady! Allow humble Behna al Sadth perform these lowly duties."

"But I like…" She protested.

"No!" He insisted, pushing her gently away. 

"But…"

"Come on Alanna." Jon led her away, "He won't take no for an answer. I can see when I'm not wanted."

She laughed, and when he tugged on her hand she went with him willingly.

We he had led her around the stables and yards and into the palace she stopped him.

"You're lost aren't you?" She accused. He turned around to face her and she was his laughing eyes.

"Who said I didn't want to be lost?" He asked. She just looked at him, and he smiled "Okay, I admit it, I'm lost. But now we are alone…"

He startled her when he leant down suddenly and took possession of her lips. Her gasp of surprise allowed him deeper access to her mouth and he took full advantage, kissing her deeply. He pulled back after a while, leaving them both panting. When she'd caught her breath she pulled him back down to her and he put up no resistance. She felt his hand slip under her shirt a little way and he began to trace patterns on her stomach. She felt herself shiver slightly and his touch and he grinned against her mouth, pleased that his touch could affect her that way. 

They were so engrossed in each other that neither heard the three knights come up behind Jon. It was only when one commented in a droll voice, that they noticed them

"We found you at last Jon! But we didn't expect anything like this."

Both of them turned around to see the surprised eyes of their friends.

**I hope that was long enough for you all! Again, no flames for pairings please, I will try and write alternate endings. **

**I am afraid that I will not be able to update as much as I used to. I will aim to update one story a week with a chapter, but I am getting a lot of work at the moment and so that must come first.**

**Sorry!**

**HuntressDiana**


	14. Chapter Twelve, Truths be told

**Chapter Twelve, Truths be told.**

Alanna was frozen in position, hidden behind Jonathan and in the shadows. She wasn't recognised for the moment, and she could tell from Jon's firm grip that she could not escape. Truth be told, she didn't want to. She had spent the past two years hiding from her past and now it had come back and slapped her across the face. Ali Muhktab had been wiser that she when he had told the knights that she had issues she needed to acknowledge and deal with. Well, she had acknowledged them, now she needed to deal with them. 

_Muhktab seems more than I would like _she thought, and made a mental reminder to herself to discover exactly what he knew about her at a later date.

Meanwhile, she had some more pressing issues to deal with. She had no idea how each of the me before her would react to the revelation that she was still alive. Before she had left, she had known them well enough to risk guessing. Raoul would have been happy and impulsive, asking questions later. Gary would have been more curious, but still happy and Alex would be more cynical. But two years had passes. The knights had seen war at the Drell River Valley, and she had faced her own challenges. They were all different people now. Still, she steeled herself and released Jon's hand.

"This isn't how I wanted to tell you." She said. The three men halted at her voice, and they stepped closer to try and see her face. 

"In fact," she added, "I'm not sure how I planned on telling you. But… here I am."

Alanna took one step forward, inhaled deeply and took the last step into the pool of sunlight beside Jonathan.

"I'm alive."

"Alanna!" They all cried out at once. Mutely, she nodded and then found herself enfolded in three sets of arms. Alex was the first to back away, a little embarrassed and bewildered. He glanced at Jon for an explanation, but the prince just shook his head and turned back to watching Alanna reunite with her friends again.

When they released her, and she them, for Alanna had been just as effulgent in embracing them, the only words Gary and Raoul could utter were.

"How…?"

"What…?"

"Not here." Alanna backed away "Coe to my rooms and I'll explain everything there."

She led the way, surer of herself than before. They were pleased to see her, that was plain. 

Jon followed her closely, while the other were amazed. Gary followed next, taking in every detail; the long copper hair, slightly wavy from the plait it was usually bound back in, the confident, soft walk, the way she held her head high. She was exactly how he remembered, if a little more graceful, he assumed that was from the Shang skills.

Raoul glanced between Alanna and Jon. He hurried to catch up with the Prince and walked next to him. Jon couldn't help the small smile that came onto his face when ever his eyes alighted upon Alanna. Raoul's quick mind son worked out what was going on between the pair.

The way Jon entered the room after her, and sat close by her as they all took a seat, said volumes. But it was the way his eyes were vibrant again. Oh, he had occasionally laughed in the past years, but he had never looked so alive, and that told the large knight all he needed to know.

Alex leant over and whispered in Raoul's ear,

"A very special girl indeed."

He was as stunned as the others, but his mind was filled with so many questions: How was Alanna alive? They had seen her dead body and they had seen it being carried into the Chamber of Heroes beneath the palace.

He looked sceptically at Alanna, and watched as she met his gaze frankly, no resentment in her eyes. Jon touched the back of her hand gently in support and , haltingly, she began to speak, choosing her words carefully. 

"I'm sorry I ran away after the battle at the Palace."

"Why?" Gary asked softly.

"I was told that you were all either dead, or dying." She replied simply, then continued with a slight air of self loathing that made him recoil slightly, "I thought it was all my fault.

"So I bewitched the body of Lucy, my friend from the Dove, to look like me."

As she continued to explain, answering their questions, and omitting a few things that she had told Jon, the men saw how Roger, for it was plainly he who had implanted such guilt into her mind, had played on Alanna's insecurities and had won a victory over the thwarter of his plans. He had sent her away from them, as she thought for their own good, and in doing so, she had only managed to hurt them all.

"Phew!" Raoul whistled. "You're a fool Alanna, to have believed him, but Gods all be thanked that you're back with us now."

Jon spoke for the first time since they had entered the room, grasping her hand firmly in his own, ignoring the looks their friends were casting his way,

"Promise me this Alanna, You'll never do that to us again."

"I swear." Her violet eyes were deadly serious as she met the gaze of each of the knights.

"So are you coming back to Court?" Gary asked.

"I'm coming back to Corus," She said, "to be given my Shang name and to tell George and Thom the truth." She buried her head in her palms. "But Court? How can I return? They all think I'm dead. Lady Alanna of Trebond and Silvereves is dead anyway. I'm just plain Alanna now."

"A Shang warrior." Raoul added. 

"And Princess of the Rogue," Alex noted.

Alanna stood abruptly, pulling her hand from Jon's grip. 

"I need to think this over." She put up a hand to stop their protests. "I won't leave the city limits."

They sat back and watched as Alanna left the room. 

When the door had closed behind her, they all turned to face Jonathan.

"Well?" Alex raised an eyebrow.

The Prince lifted his hands in surrender.

"What?"

"How long have you known?"

"That Alanna was alive? Only a few hours more then you." He then proceeded to relate the tale of how the Ysandir had stripped away Ariana's disguise to reveal her true identity.

"And you two are now…" Gary let his sentence trail off, as he struggled to find a delicate way of phrasing what he wanted to say.

"Courting?" Alex offered.

"Closer than friends." Raoul suggested.

Jon lay back on Alanna's bed, the smile never leaving his face.

"Both of those, I suppose."

"Since when?" His cousin asked.

"I first kissed her at Midwinter, before the battle. Then again, after we defeated the Ysandir and I found out she was alive."

He shifted slightly, unsure of the depths of his feelings for Alanna, and unwilling to share too much. This was Alanna they were talking about; their friend, companion and comrade, not some Court Lady. Previously they had openly discussed the Court Ladies, but now, he would prefer to keep Alanna to himself.

"What?" Some one had been talking to him as he had been lost in thought. They repeated the question and he rolled off the bed and walked over to the window, where he watched a small, copper haired figure open and close the gate of the inn as she left.

"Yes." He answered softly, but in a firm tone. "I love Alanna."


	15. Chapter Thirteen, Trust

**Chapter thirteen; Trust**

****

"Have you told Alanna?" Raoul asked, "That you love her, I mean."

"Not yet." Jonathan replied.

"It might help… give her another reason to stay." Gary suggested.

"You think she'd go back on her word? That she'd leave again?" He asked.

"No. Alanna wouldn't. She holds too much store in promises and honour." Alex reassured him.

"Good." Jon stared, unseeing, over the Bahzir City, his mind following her as she wound through the streets and alleyways.

Alanna wished she had worn her cloak, or even put on her burnoose again. Her flame coloured hair and lilac eyes were very distinctive and easily recognisable. Bahzir people were stopping whatever they were doing, and bowing to her until she passed them by. She could hear conversations starting up again, as soon as she had moved away. She had wanted some time to think, by herself, but it didn't seem that she was going to be able to achieve that. Mothers called to her to bless and pray for their infants, children ran up to touch her leg, or her shirt hem, and than ran away, giggling, to be scolded by their elders.

Slowly, as the evening wore on, and night thickened in the narrow ways of the city, Alanna was left more and more alone.

As the moon rose above the city wall, she turned into a small square and heard the quiet and slow footfalls of one who does not want to be heard. Ignoring them she continued to walk steadily across the cobbles. When the footsteps multiplied, and she was in the middle of the square, Alanna froze and spun on the balls of her feet. 

The men following her, halted instantly.

"Ariana?" One ventured to speak. "Ariana of Tortall?"

She arched an eyebrow.

"What would you want with Ariana?"

"We owe her a debt."

"Oh." She said curiously. "And what debt would that be?"

"Death!" the spokesman swore violently. "We come from the Lord of Ravencroft."

"That would explain the debt then." She said. She had caught Ravencroft's son attacking a commoner girl and had reported him to the Courts of the Great Mother Goddess.  He had been declared guilty and shamed before the people of the fief. The father was as bad as the son. Conservatives both of them, declaring that women who fought were heathens or demons and should be stopped at all costs. 

"Come on then." A feral grin lit her face. A good fight was just what she needed to clear her head.

There were only five men, but they were cocky. She soon discovered the reason why as they brought weapons out from their hiding places, into the open. A varied assortment of weapons they were too. One held a cudgel, a length of iron, flattened at one end. It was heavy and deadly, if wielded effectively it could break any limb and crack a skull. Two held swords, another a throwing star and scythe, with a long reach. The last weapon was the worst though, a long pole, capable of being used as a javelin, with a razor sharp point that would impale her. The other end was capped with metal. These men looked like trained assassins, in the way they moved and how they held themselves and their weapons.

_Great! _Alanna's smile grew broader, these men might pose more of a challenge to her.

"Come on!" She beckoned them towards her, "I don't have all night to spare!" 

The throwing star came her way first. She watched it, flickering in the darkness, as the moonlight flickered across the surfaces. Her hand shot out, like a snake and knocked it on one of its flat surfaces, propelling it high into the air. She threw a kick into the stomach of one of the swordsmen, then, recoiling, caught the star by the handle as it fell. She now had a weapon. She had left her sword back in her room. Not that she needed a weapon really, but it would help keep them further away if they decided to try and rush her. 

The man with the pole arm was at a disadvantage, hampered by the long, wooden stave. The men all attacked her at once, and she sprang into action, ramming her foot into the now unarmed man's thigh. He fell to the ground, struggling to get up. The spear was levelled at her chest, ready to run her though, unless she dodged, and dealt with the other men around her. Instead, she flipped over the pole, landing in the same place she had left, punching the man in the face, breaking his nose. The pole was knocked harmlessly away by her thigh and she noted where it fell, to prevent it being picked up again. The second swordsman was very good, she was forced to duck and weave away from the blade, before blocking it with the throwing star, and implanting her weapon deep in his chest. The man with the cudgel came up behind her, in an attempt to knock her over the head while the other men distracted her. Alanna spun, her foot flying out and catching him in the back of his head. He died instantly, his neck broken by the sheer power for the blow, before he even hit the ground. That only left the final swordsman and the man with the scythe. These two were the oldest of the assassins, even though they couldn't have been older than twenty six; the life of a professional killer was short.  They worked together, trying to back her into a corner. When Alanna allowed them to, they swung their weapons at her together, the scythe headed for her thighs, the sword for her neck. With a yell, Alanna jumped into the air, flattened herself in mid flight, and allowed the blades to skim over and under her body. 

She tucked her head in and rolled when she hit the ground, quickly flipping herself back up to her feet. Panting a little, she brushed her hands off, leaving the men groaning as they impaled themselves upon the other's weapon.

"Now to find Ali Muhktab." She strode back to the castle, feeling a little better and refreshed.

She searched the entire castle for the governor, only to be told that he had left to visit one of the many Bahzir tribes earlier that day. When she walked back to her room, cursing his ill timing, she found Jon still sitting on her bed.

"Jon!" She exclaimed in surprise, "What are you doing here still?"

"Waiting for you to come back." He said quietly, not looking her in the eyes.

"You didn't think I would?" Alanna moved around the room to sit by his feet, looking up into his face. "I promise you Jon, I won't do that again."

Slowly, he looked down at her. She was hurt by the fact that he didn't trust her, but she understood why he felt that way.

"It's just that you took so long out there."

"I was in a fight." At her words, his eyes began flickering over her body, checking for any wounds. "I'm fine." She reassured him. Alanna laid her hand on his. As she watched, he turned his hand palm up and intertwined his fingers with hers, holding on to her tightly. 

"Jon, I know I lied to you all and I need to earn your trust again…"

He laid a finger on her lips gently, silencing her.

"You already have it."

"I already have what?" She asked, not sure what he meant.

"My trust." He cupped her cheek.

"But, I betrayed you… I let you all think that I…"

He gently pulled at her hand, and settled her on the bed beside him.

"I know you did. And I forgive you."

"I don't understand." she said, frantically trying to. "I didn't do anything to make you trust me again."

"You didn't have to. I trust you Alanna, I was just afraid you'd leave, after I had only just found you again." 

"I won't. There's nothing I can add to that. Unless you want a focus for me. Then, if you were ever worried again, you can find me and send a speech spell or something."

"But a focus can be used to control you." He protested.

"You'd never do that to me. I trust you Jon."

He smiled, as she deftly reminded him of what he had only just said.

"I'll think about it. I'd need something personal of yours anyway, and you Shangs travel light."

"I always did." She leant carefully into his arms, ready to pull back if he was uncomfortable. Instead, Jon welcomed her into his embrace, dropping a kiss onto her lips. He moved backwards, so his back rested against the bedstead and pulled her after him, to sit between his legs, resting her head upon his chest.

"What is your name going to be?" He asked, in a soft voice after a while, unwilling to break the comfortable silence that had fallen between them. Alanna shifted so she could look up at him. 

"For Shang? I don't know. If I had carried on, I would be the Shang Firebird; the Phoenix."

"That was the name Ylanda, the Ysandir called you, 'Little Phoenix' wasn't it?"

She felt Alanna nod.

"I don't know how she knew, but it is kind of appropriate I guess. I rise from the ashes of my pyre, more powerful than before. I come back from Death." Her voice was becoming too thoughtful, so Jon fished something out of a drawer near the bed.

"I think I have something that belongs to you."

He held it out on a long chain, dangling before her face. She reached out to catch t and brought it closer to her face, to examine the pendant. It was the size of a small coin, and engraved on it was a large bird, its wings out spread in flight. Fire blazed behind it, and in its wings. 

"My token!" She allowed him to loop it over her head, so it rested on her chest, beneath her shirt. "I'm to get another one of these in a fortnight's time. Speaking of, I need to leave within a few days for Corus, to get back in good time for the naming."

"I'll ride with you." Jon immediately offered. "I'm not letting you out of my sight! Nor letting go of you either." He held up their linked hands to emphasise his point. Alanna laughed.

"You won't see me complaining about that." She commented, then asked. "Why are you in Persopolis anyway? You never said,"

"Lord Martin's been having problems with some Bahzir tribes. A 'diplomatic mission' they called it. As soon as it is over, I'm free to go."

"Ali Muhktab has left." Alanna pointed out.

"I wonder why. They will have agreed on something while I wasn't there. Probably because we spent ages in the Black City."

"Most likely." She agreed.

"Lord Martin had a fit when we got back. He cornered me and read me a very impressive lecture on how a Prince, and the only heir to the throne, should behave. And the list of what I couldn't do included 'gallivanting off with some wild girl from Shang.' He wants to meet you tomorrow."

"Me?" She sat up slightly, but Jon's arm held her back. "why, in Mithros' name, would he want to meet me?"

"You killed the Ysandir too."

"Does he want to meet Ariana or Alanna, I wonder." She mused, relaxing back. Jon kissed the top of her head. 

"That depends on what you want." He sighed, resting his chin lightly on her hair, "If you want to be Ariana, I won't hold you back. Who are you now?"

"Ariana was never really me Jon. She was someone else, like me in some ways but very different in others. She was who I wanted to be for a while, solitary, not needing love, family, friends. I thought that if I pushed everything and everyone away I couldn't be hurt." She sighed. "I'm Alanna again now. For good."

"I'm glad to hear it." Jon's heart leapt. If she was going to introduce herself as Alanna, then she might be planning to stay. "Are you going to come back to Court then?"

"I think I am going to have to. We better think up a good explanation though, one that is less complicated than the real one."

"Some people are going to need to know the truth." Jon pointed out.

"I know. Their majesties, for example."

She got up from the bed and walked across the room to the mirror, which was mounted on the opposite wall. She stood there for a while, staring deeply into her own violet eyes. She said aloud, ignoring any misgivings that she might have.

"Welcome back Lady Alanna of Trebond and Silvereves. At last."


	16. Chapter Fourteen, False memories

**Chapter Fourteen; False Memories.**

****

Jon knocked on Alanna's door. 

"Alanna!" He tried the handle, and, when it turned, went into the room. "Alanna!" He called again.

It took a moment for her to turn around.

"Sorry, I'm still getting used to that. Remind me again why I have to wear a dress?"

Jon sighed and repeated when he had told her many times before.

"Lord Martin is a conservative; it will make it easier for us if you wear a dress. He will receive you better like this."

She sighed and tugged the neckline of the dress up.

"Fine. You know best I suppose." 

Jon walked over to her and laid his hands on her waist. She leant up to kiss him, and he willingly obliged. When they had finished, the neckline was back in its proper place.

"Jon!" Alanna made as if to pull it back up again, higher on her chest. He took her hands, preventing her.

"Don't." He brushed the ribbon that adorned the top of the green dress. "I like it this way, you look wonderful."

"You would say that!" She retorted, but she couldn't hide her pleasure at the compliment. 

"It is horrible to move in though." She had been forced to borrow the dress and it was far too long for her, she had to hitch up the skirts in order to walk safely. 

They had spent most of the night concocting a believable story to tell everyone. A lot of it rested on Alanna's skills to make it realistic, and she was no player. So they were replying on Lord Martin's gullibility and their wits. 

Alanna slipped her feet into the soft leather boots and said, albeit reluctantly. 

"Come on then. I don't think he will be impressed if we are late."

Jon rested an arm around her waist, his hand lying on her hip as they left the room, locking the door behind them.

A little way down the corridor, a Bahzir tribesman came across them, and frowned pointedly at their 'comfortable' position. Jon let her go at once, and offered her his arm, bowing low.

Alanna took it, resting her palm on his sleeve as she had seen the court ladies do. The Tribesman nodded his approval and carried on his way, leaving Jon and Alanna muffling gales of laughter.

They stifled their amusement as they approached Lord Martin's quarters. Jon knocked on the door bearing the Lord's name. It was opened by a smaller man than the Lord, wearing the fief colours of white and gold. It was his steward. He ushered them into the main room of the suite, bowing deeply to Jonathan.

"If you would follow me…" He said, deferentially. He led them towards an inner room. He knocked, waited fro the reply, then opened the door and walked in.

"It is Prince Jonathan, and his companion to see you, my Lord."

"Show them in." A crisp voice answered.

The steward nodded, and backed out of the room.

"As you wish, My Lord." He opened the door wider, revealing the room to be some kind of study. He announced to the pair waiting outside, "His Lordship will see you now."

Jon nodded and led the way into the room. Lord Martin stood as they entered. He too bowed.

"Your Highness, My Lady." He indicated two straight backed, wooden chairs, close together, on the other side of his desk. "Please do sit."

Alanna sat first, frantically trying to remember all the lesson in etiquette Mistress Cooper had given her, back in Corus. Jon waited, gallantly, for her to be seated, before sitting himself. Finally, Lord Martin sat down behind his desk.

"Would you be so kind as to tell me your name, my Lady?" He asked, "I have only heard your title of 'the Burning Bright One'.

She took a deep breath, after this moment there was no turning back for her.

"I am Lady Alanna of Trebond and Silvereves." She saw Jonathan relax slightly beside her. Lord Martin was startled, understandably, by her answer.

"I beg your pardon, but I was informed that Lady Alanna died some eighteen months ago." He looked at the Prince, stumped for another explanation.

"She is correct, my Lord." Jonathan said softly, "I knew Lady Alanna in Corus, and I recognise and know her now."

"Very well." The older man pulled himself together. "Could you please explain to me how you were thought to be dead, Lady Alanna, as I must admit to some bewilderment."

"As you wish, My Lord. You may recall the Great Palace Battle, or hearing of the battle."

"I was not present." He said shortly, urging her to continue.

"I fought Duke Roger, and killed him, but, I suspect, not before that he cast a spell upon me. I am not sure what happened exactly, but either he must have somehow tampered with my memory, or I must have hit my head hard. Either way, I woke up outside the Palace gates with no recollection as to who I was. My mare was with me, and I remembered a few details; where I was, who she was, but nothing about myself. 

"I met a group of merchants and travelled with them a while. One of them gave me his dead daughter's name, may the Black God ease her passing, of 'Ariana'. I became a Shang student.

Eventually, I came here and recovered all my memories; who I was and what had happened to me, when I was fighting the Ysandir, beside Prince Jonathan."

After this long speech, Alanna sat back, her job was done. Now it was left to Lord Martin as to whether he believed her or not. He pushed himself back in his chair.

"An amazing tale." He said at last. "I have but one question, who then was buried in your place?"

"I am not sure, My Lord." She sensed Jon tense up beside her, they had not prepared for this. "I believe it may have been one of my friends, it was often said that we resembled me so closely, she could have been my sister."

"In that case, I regret your loss and praise the Gods in hope of regaining all your memories." He replied,

"I thank you for your concern, Lord Martin. I am now eager to ride back to Corus, and be reunited with my family."

The elder man rose to his feet.

"Of course. Prince Jonathan, I believe you, and your companions are riding to the capital tomorrow."

"We intend to do so, Sir. We would welcome Lady Alanna, if she were to join us."

"Then that is settled. Lady Alanna, I shall organise some supplies for you, riding dresses and such like before tomorrow. I am sure that my Lady can assist you with anything else you should need."

"That would be very kind. Please do thank your Lady for me."

"I will do so."

"Thank you, My Lord." Sensing that the interview was over, Jon stood and offered his hand to Alanna. Hidden behind his body, she pulled a face at him, but took his hand anyway.

Lord Martin bowed to the pair. He watched her curtsey, and although it was graceful, it was not quite like the ones done at court.  He watched them as they walked out, a little closer than was necessary. 

When the door shut behind them, he sat down, mulling over the conversation in his mind. 

"An unusual girl." He said to himself, sipping from a glass of water. "A very unusual girl indeed."

The girl in question waited until they were a few corridors away from his rooms, before looking up at her companion. 

"Do you think he believed me?"

He looked down at her

"I think _I_ would have believed you if I didn't know the truth."

He opened the door into his rooms; a few doors down from her own and let her walk in first.

"That's good then. If we convinced Lord Martin, we can do the same to everybody else. Although I don't like lying to them, I'm going to have to."  She cleared a space on the bed, pushing shirts and tunics out of the way.

"We should be able to. I'll fill Gary, Raoul and Alex in on the story so that they don't let anything slip."

"Do they know that we're leaving tomorrow? And is it alright, me coming with you, I mean?"

"Of course it is. I wouldn't have offered otherwise."

"Will the others be fine with it? They seemed happy to see me, but…"

"They were a little shocked to see you, that's all." He reassured her. "Imagine how you would feel if you suddenly saw Ironarm again, alive and well, after thinking that he had been dead and seeing his body buried? It will take a bit of getting used to." He laughed slightly and sat down next to her, on top of a pile of neatly folded breeches.

"Merciful Mother, I'm still getting used to it."

"You seem to be adjusting quite well though."

"I have a reason for wanting to adjust well though."

"Oh?" She mocked curiosity, although she thought she knew what was coming next. "And what reason might that be?"

"This." He kissed her gently, his lips barely brushing against hers.

"Oh no." She pulled his head back down to hers. "You'll have to give me a better reason than that, or I might not believe you."

A smile spread across his face.

"In that case I'm going to have to try and convince you, aren't I?"

Before their lips met in a more passionate kiss, she murmured 

"I suppose you should."

When Alanna left Jon's rooms an hour or two later, her hair was mussed, and her dress was more wrinkled than when she had entered. 

They had spent the time catching up on each other's lives and talking, mostly.

There was something she had to do before they left the next morning. She quickly changed into breeches and shirt, this time remembering to take her clock with her. Even so, when she reached the market district, people were falling over themselves to sell things to her. She selected the few things she needed from a stall set back in a bystreet, run by an old man. 

Just before she turned to leave, he stood and looked at her closely.

"You are the Storm-girl, the one who burns?"

She paused for a second, something in the breathy timbre of his voice brought back a memory she had long suppressed.

"I am also of the Doi people, the Hill Rabbit Clan. Remember the words of the Prophetess. They are as important now as they ever were."

He resumed his seat, and watched her go. When she reached the end of the road, and was about to turn the corner, he called out once more.

"Rogue Leader, you have chosen a difficult and dangerous path. But I See that it is the right one for you."

"Thank you sir." Slightly shaken, Alanna made her way back to the castle. She knew what the man was referring to. 

A year ago she had met a Doi woman. She had called to Alanna by name, and by her many titles, some which she had carried before then, some of which she received after that day, and some she had yet to bear.

_"Lady Storm! Alanna of Trebond! Countess of Silvereves! Phoenix! Princess of the Rogue! Fire-Child!"_

_It was the last name that made her turn around. Coram Smythlesson, the man who had raised her from birth and taught her woodcraft and weaponry had given her that name. It had been his nickname for her as a child, something to do with her hair and the ways she could erupt so easily into anger, she supposed._

_A tall woman, a dark stone fastened to her forehead with a silver chain, the mark of a Seer, stood in the middle of the street behind Alanna. _

_"Come child!" She was a Doi tribeswoman, kin to the Bahzir in Tortall. Many Doi people had the ability to see into the future. "Storm girl!" She summoned once more. "Come with me. We must talk together."_

_Wearily Alanna obeyed, and they walked in silence to a nearby inn._

_"I am Mo'rike of the Hill Rabbit clan. I saw you here with me several months ago, and so I dutifully set out to seek you here."_

_"You've come a long way." She commented. "Why should you need to find me though?"_

_"I had a vision and I have a message to pass on to you. From whom these came I do not know, but the message is this;_

_"_With no the past, you can have no present,

With no the present, you can have no future.

And with no future, you can have no past.

"For they are all linked in you." _The woman's head fell back, and her voice became husky. "_You cannot sever these ties. You must face them!" _Suddenly her head snapped forwards and her eyes focussed on Alanna._

"You are but a child still. Do not throw away the love of King and King."

_"I don't know any kings!" Alanna insisted. The Doi ignored her and continued_

_"_You have chosen a hard path to walk, my daughter, but you acme coming to the crest of the mountains and the valley shall come to you soon."

_Alanna stood, knocking her stool over. Stiffly she bowed and then ran from the room._

_The Prophetess stopped her companions from following her._

_"Let her go," She commanded. "She has had a shock." And then she called out to Alanna's back. "Remember the words of Mo'rike; you cannot run from your problems."_

Alanna frowned, bringing herself back into the present. Why should some man surface now to remind her of that?

She thought about it as she worked, binding her magic into the things that lay on the bench in front of her; a lock of hair, her Shang medallion, some herbs, and a delicate leather pouch.


	17. Chapter Fifteen, Focus

**Chapter Fourteen; Focus**

****

The ride through the desert began awkwardly, partially because Alanna was unsure of her welcome and partially because it was early morning. A sandstorm kicked up halfway through the morning and their horses reared in fright.

Moonlight and Darkness, Alanna and Jon's steeds, stayed calmer and their calm affected Gary's Charity and Raoul's Lance. Alex's mount continued to buck and rear however. One of his flailing hooves caught Moonlight on the rump and she bolted in surprise.

Alanna's burnoose fell to her shoulders, and it spread out behind her, rippling in the wind caused by their flight. She clung on with her knees, trying not to drag at the halter. She soon managed to halt her mare, gentling her head and neck. When she reared, a defiant whinny sounded out above the sounds of Alex calming his horse and the sound of the dying storm. The mare rose high on her hind legs, her front hooves pawing at the air as if she was searching for an enemy. Alanna held her seat firmly and brought her mare back on all fours.

Gary had seen the whole thing and he brought the others' attention to her struggle. They all saw it at once, a girl on the back of a rearing hose, the sun highlighting the two bodies, obscuring their features. But the sword the girl wore girt over her dress reflected the sun's light, shining brightly.

Alanna turned her mare in a tight circle, breaking the breath taking images and preventing the horse from rearing again.

When she rejoined the men on the road, she dismounted. 

"That is it! All of you, turn around, I am getting out of this confounded dress and into breeches."

They laughed. She was no longer a beautiful stranger, but their friend. 

When she had finished changing and they had all remounted she said.

"I swear, I will never know how women can wear those skirts and ride properly."

They began riding again as Gary remarked dryly,

"I think it's something about the fact that they ride side saddle."

She laughed.

"Could be. As an experiment," She swung one of her legs high over Moonlight's head, a display of the flexibility she had gained with her Shang skills. Moonlight ignored her mistress' antics and continued trotting next to Darkness.

Alanna wiggled in the saddle, hooking one leg over the pommel to stay on. The men chuckled as they watched.

Finally, after a few contortions she sat up straight.

"My respect for the Court ladies has just increased tenfold." She commented. "This is not a comfortable position to sit in. Add a corset and the Ladies must be in serious pain."

"It can't be that bad." Jon said, although he knew Alanna detested the fragile court ladies, who would say one thing to your face, and another behind your back, so anything to make her gain respect for them must be bad.

"The side saddle or the corset?" She asked as she shifted back into a normal seat.

"Both."

"You try sitting side saddle. I've done it properly once or twice before –wearing a dress- and it is not nice. Of course the saddles are different, but still. As for the corset, I've worn one occasionally. Imagine always having to sit upright, and that you can't breathe properly because the bone stays of the corset are squeezing your stomach and ribs so much."

"Why do women put themselves through so much torture then?" Raoul asked.

"I don't wear a proper one willingly, and neither do most other commoner women. It is really just for the noblewomen.  Some do it willingly, others are forced into it. I escaped the convents so I don't know any more than that." She cast her eyes and hands theatrically up to the sky. "Something that I thank the Gods for every day."

The men laughed, and she joined in, glad that the tension had passed.

It was late that night when they stopped to rest. They didn't bother setting a watch as Jon drew a protective circle around their camp. Alanna's gift was still building itself up again, after not being used for so long. She was still awake, lying in her bed roll and staring up at the sky. When she heard the breathing of the men growing more rhythmical and soft she got up, under the pretence of checking that the fire was properly banked. When no one stirred, she stooped over Jon and woke him.

He sat up, instantly alert, his hand going to his sword at once. He had it unsheathed before Alanna could speak.

"Stop it!" She said in a harsh whisper. "It is me. Alanna."

"What is the matter?" He asked.

"Nothing. Just, come with me. I want to talk to you."

"All right." He pulled himself out of his bed roll. He only wore his breeches and when Alanna tossed him his shirt his teeth flashed white in a grin. 

"Where are we going?"

"Not far. Just to that rise over there." He nodded and grasped her hand to pull her safely through the protective circle, without breaking it.

They walked across the sand, which was now cool beneath their bare feet. When they reached the top of the slope they found it strewn with boulders. They picked tow close to each other and leant against them. Alanna let go of Jon's hand to find her belt purse. From it she drew a small leather pouch. Silently, she handed it over to him; he looked at her, confused before opening it and conjuring a mage light so he could see. After a few seconds his expression cleared and he met her eyes.

"Are you sure about this?" He pulled the strings firmly, sealing the bag shut.

"Perfectly."

"You really want me to have a focus for you?" He asked. His eyes were focused on hers, reading her determination.

"Yes. I trust you Jon." She leant over and closed his hand around the focus. "It means you can always find me. And it is a promise that I am not going anywhere."

"I don't want you to be pressured into doing something this dangerous…"

"Dangerous?" She scoffed, "How can me giving you a focus be dangerous?"

"You know the spells that can be worked on you using this?" He held out the purse. "Especially as you made it yourself and gave it willingly."

"I know." She said seriously. "Keep it Jon. If you feel later that you don't want it, then you know how to destroy it. But I want you to have it. At least for now."

"Very well." He stuffed it into his belt purse.

Raoul woke up a few minutes later. With a start he realised Alanna's bed roll on the other side of the fire was empty. He sat bolt upright and looked around frantically for the girl. He relaxed when he saw that Jon's bed roll was also empty, the blanket lying crumpled in a heap. His sudden movement had woken Gary, who also sat up.

"What is the matter?" He asked.

Raoul indicated the empty beds to his friend. Gary looked around and spotted a white mage light flickering on a hill to their right. By its faint light they saw two figures sitting close, arms tight around each other. The knights turned away from the couple to give them some privacy.

"Looks like they needed to get away from us for a while." Gary said quietly.

"Probably." Raoul said with a low chuckle.

When the Prince and Alanna came down the hill, hand in hand, both the men were asleep again, and the moon was dipping towards the horizon.

"We'll reach Corus tomorrow." Jon said. "How do you feel?"

Alanna sat down on her blanket, hugging her knees to her chest protectively. 

"Nervous," She shrugged. "Anxious."

"I'll be there with you Alanna, if you want me to be."

She looked thoughtful

"I want… need to see George and Thom alone. I'd like you to be there when I explain to their majesties though, if I have to."

Jon lay down beside her, his head resting on his hands.

"They'll want to know how you've come back from the dead." He said. "That is for certain. Besides," he pulled her down next to him, her head resting on his shoulder. "You're a heroine in Corus."

"Now I know you have to be joking." She laughed. "Me? A heroine?" She shifted a bit to get comfortable.

"I'll believe that when I see it."

The next day dawned and they rode towards the capital. As they entered the valley of the Olorun river they let the horses roam, to eat and drink. While the knights pulled clean tunics out of their saddlebags and tried to neaten themselves up, Alanna didn't bother. She wasn't going to the Palace. There was something else, more important to do first and her errand would lead her into the Lower City.

She patted Moonlight's neck absentmindedly and walked up the hill.

She walked slowly, alone, her hands deep in her pockets. As she came to the crest of the hill she climbed up onto two boulders, one foot on each. Corus lay in the next valley, cradled between two hills. The river glistened in the sunlight as she followed its course through the streets. The maze of streets was still familiar to her, after two years away. Her eyes found the Great Market square, where she had first met Jon, the fountain which George had thrown her in on a hot summer's day. She saw the armoury, and the tree she had climbed to watch the revelries of the Lower City at Midsummer. Then she followed the smallest of alleys with her eyes until she reached Mistress Cooper's house, from there she found the Dancing Dove inn, headquarters of the Court of the Rogue.

She sat down on one of the rocks as she stared at the place she had called 'home' for six long, happy years.

Jon came up behind her and rested a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Here we are Alanna." He scanned his city as well. "Home at last."

**Well there we go, Alanna is coming home at last.**

**Merry Christmas!**

**HuntressDiana.**


	18. Chapter Sixteen, Father

**Chapter Fifteen; Father.******

The group separated as they rode through the city gates. Alanna was headed towards the Lower City while the Knights were bound for the palace.

Alanna called up enough of a glamour to darken her hair from its usual copper to a dark brown. Jonathan's words about the people of Corus believing she was a heroine echoed in her mind.

She let Moonlight walk slowly through the crowds, recognising many of the faces she saw. Suddenly she felt someone touch her saddlebags. She kicked back with her heel, and then turned in the saddle, grabbing the wrist of the shocked would be thief. When she saw him fully, she dropped his wrist as if it was on fire. She recognised him as one of the street boys who had joined the Rogue, just before the battle at the Palace.

"Don't go stealing from my bags." She warned, fixing him with a penetrating gaze. He grinned up at her, looking a little taken aback at her violet stare, then nodded and slipped away into the crowd.

With a sigh she spread purple fire over the flaps of her bags to stop any more thieves trying their luck. She steered Moonlight into a narrow street leading off the small square. The horse's hooves echoed hollowly as she walked down the empty alleyway. The mare's pace seemed to quicken as she recognised the path they were taking. They were cantering, her hooves striking sparks from the cobbles, when they turned into a broader road, opposite an inn.

It was a large, brown building, with darker beams of wood showing at the front. The door had received a new coat of paint and was now a dark red shade. The sign hanging above the door had also been repainted. The dove was now a lighter grey and had its wings raised higher than before. In its claws, interwoven with a leafy green branch was a violet ribbon. It didn't creak anymore as it swung in the gentle wind.

Alanna dismounted and Moonlight trotted into the stable yard around the side of the inn. Knowing her mare would be cared for, Alanna then walked to the door. As she rested her palms on the rough surface, she let the glamour slip. Then she pushed the door open and entered.

Alanna stepped into the hallway, at once smelling the familiar scents of baking bread, stew and sweat that hung in the air. She walked into the main room slowly, taking in every detail hungrily. The bar was clean and only a few men sat in the main room. Glancing around, she felt habit asserting itself as she checked who they were. She only recognised one of them; Orem, a man brilliant with knives and one of George's most faithful followers. Old Solom, the barkeeper, came out of the back room, after hearing the door opening.

"How can I help you Miss?"

She turned to face him and the mug he was holding fell to the ground, smashing loudly at his feet. The other men in the inn turned around to se what had caused him to start so.

She took a few steps closer, resting her open palms on the polished table top between them. She saw him looking her over and suddenly everything she had thought she might say seemed to inadequate. His mouth was moving slowly, unspeaking, he closed it and cleared his throat then he spoke in a hoarse whisper.

"It's never Mistress Alanna?" 

She slipped into the accent of the city easily.

"Aye Solom, I'm back."

He rounded the bar and held out his arms to the girl. She went to them willingly and hugged him. She felt his arms close around her and hold her tightly. She pushed him from her gently and was startled to see there were tears in his grey eyes.

"It's that good t'have you back again, Lass." He said, wiping his eyes with a corner of his apron. 

"It's good to be back." She said. A hand handed on her shoulder and she turned to see Orem behind her. He nodded silently and bowed his head in greeting. Alanna understood, he had never been open with his feelings, and she knew he was glad to have her back as well. Her eyes strayed towards the stairs.

"Solom, where is George?"

"He should be upstairs." He replied quietly.

"Thank you." She went to the steps slowly, although she was eager to see George, she wasn't sure what she would say to him.

When she reached the top of the stairs she saw the door to her old room was ajar. When she opened it fully and froze in shock. Allowing the door to swing shut behind her, she stepped into the middle of the room and looked around. Everything was exactly as she had left it. She had left most of her belongings here, so she wouldn't give herself away and because she couldn't take it all. There was no dust anywhere, it was as if time had stopped in this room at the second of her 'death' and it still hadn't restarted. Somebody had been in here every so often and dusted the room, putting everything back exactly how they had found it. The breeches and shirt she had changed from still lay over the back of a chair. Her hairbrush sat on the windowsill. One boot lay on its side by the bed. The coverlet was slightly rumpled.

"I thought everythin' should be left alone." A warm voice spoke from behind her. She spun around to see the King of thieves, the man who had raised her since she was a child, leaning against the doorframe. 

"George!" She breathed. He opened his arms to her, walking further into the room. She launched herself into them, the force of it forcing him to his knees on the rug. She felt her ribs creak as he held her tightly and she returned the embrace with as much fervour as him. To her dismay, Alanna found she was crying. She buried her face in George's shirt and let the tears flow.

He clung to her, resting his cheek against her hair.

"Ah, my darlin' girl. I knew you weren't dead. I knew you'd be back someday. My lass." He was weeping as well, the salt water soaking into her hair.

"How did you know I was alive?" She asked softly.

"I felt it Alanna." He held onto her arms, pushing her away slightly. "How could I not?"

She avoided his gaze slightly.

"Jon found me, in Persopolis." 

"I don't care who found you Alanna. All I care about it that you are back here with me again. That you're home."

He let her go, so he could see her properly. Alanna's face bore no real signs of aging. Her hair was pulled back from her face, away from her eyes as it always used to be. Her clothes were simple, plain cotton tan breeches and a light blue shirt. But the quality of both the cloth and the stitching was high. The pins that held her hair back were silver, tipped with amber beads. Her belt was of well tooled leather, thick around her waist and back with patterns etched on the material. It split into thongs, each ending with a carved wooden bead.

At least he knew she hadn't been starving, she'd been taking care of herself. She'd improved herself over her journey, her quest almost, for her identity. And at that moment, that was all George needed to know

"… we travelled in Tyra for a while," Alanna said, tracing the route they had taken on the map that lay on the table. She bit into an apple and continued talking as she chewed, "and we stayed there for a month or so, training all the while of course."

George sat back, away from the map and listened to her talk.

"Toran was in his last months though, so we began to head back to Corus."

"Why come back here Alanna?" He asked. "Why didn't you take your Ordeal somewhere else? Or just do the year?"

Alanna sighed. 

"I used to dream about being a warrior maiden." George nodded, he knew what had brought her to Corus in the first place all those years ago. "A lady Knight. I don't know…" She laughed "I think I was sort of paying my last respects to that dream. When I entered the Chamber of the Ordeal… I would have entered that door a year ago at Midwinter, as a Squire, to leave as a Knight, if I had managed to carry my plan through." She smiled ruefully. "It was foolish, I see that now, coming back here when any one of the servants could have been Rogue and seen me, or even one of the nobles could have recognised me. But I wanted to come back, to have a chance to say goodbye to who I could have been, to those dreams, and to make myself see that my path is different now. I'm not the same girl I was then, and what I am doing now… well, it wasn't what I imagined I would be doing."

"But you are happy doing it." He finished.

"Yes. I am." She smiled.

They had been sitting there, talking for at least two hours, Alanna describing where she had been on her travels and George revelling in the sight of her, home with him once again.

Footsteps rang up the stairs, echoing slightly from the force. The door burst open without a knock and George's cousin Rispah came into the room, followed by Eleni, his mother.  

"George." The younger woman said, slightly out of breath. "Orem said Alanna…" She was cut off as Alanna pushed her chair back and stood. "Gods all be blessed. It is you!" Alanna found herself wrapped in more arms and she was awed by the sight she saw over their shoulders.

It seemed that the entire Court of the Rogue were crowded into the hallway. Most she knew, although there were some she didn't recognise. Her eyes traced their faces as the two women relaxed their holds upon her. Red Nell, Shem, 'Fingers, Marek…

George stood and, automatically all faces turned towards their King.

"I'd like to introduce some one to you all. Alanna. She's the Princess of the Rogue."

A cheer went up and Alanna felt her eyes growing moist again. These hardened men and women, who had seen the worst of Corus and lived there, had become her family eight years ago. And now they welcomed her back into their ranks.

She slipped from between the Eleni and Rispah and took a step towards the group, to her surprise she saw tears and broad grins intermingled. 

She was back, where she belonged, once more.

**I am beginning to organise the administration stuff for the Tortallian Heroes Awards 2004 now, and I am looking for people who think they may want to judge. For more information go to the website, the address is on my bio, the Dancing Dove forum or join the mailing list.**

**I hope you enjoyed the chapter.**

**HuntressDiana**


	19. Chapter Seventeen, Brother

**Chapter sixteen; Brother**

****

"Going so soon?" Marek, one of the main Rogues in Corus leaned in the doorways and looked at Alanna as she sat with George.

"The fifth bell just rang." Eleni said calmly, although the hand resting on Alanna's shoulder was white.

"Let her go Aunt." Rispah said. "You too Marek. We can't hold on to Alanna any more, she's been here the whole day. Don't you think she wants to see her brother?"

The girl cast a grateful look at her.

"Marek, I've told George and you already that I will be back here tonight."

George stood and followed her as they walked through the bar, past the curious Rogues as they left the inn.

"You can't really blame him for doubting ye." The thief king said.

Alanna stood before him, pleading with her eyes for him to believe her

"I will be back soon George, right after I see Thom. It may be late, but I will be back."

He bent down and kissed her lightly on the forehead.

"And I shall see you then."

Alanna nodded and the two embraced tightly for a long time before he stepped back.

"It's like Rispah said, my girl, I have to let you go. It's up to you if you want to return. I'm content to know that you're alive and well. And that you're happy."

With that said, he turned and walked away.

Alanna stared at his retreating back. He walked slowly, unwilling to go, but knowing he had to. She admired his courage and his faith in her. Some of the other Rogues however were not so sure of her, having been double crossed before. They, Marek among their number, watched her closely.

She brought Moonlight out of the stable and mounted easily.

"Come on girl." She leant over her mare's neck. "Let's give them a bit of a show."

She trotted towards the gate and, with a small smirk on her face, she urged Moonlight to rear slightly and pulled her sword from her sheath, angling it so it caught, and reflected, the sun's rays.

George smirked; he knew what she was doing. 

_She's picked up a bit of a player side._ He thought. The effect of her actions was as if she held a burning brand in her hand, as the sun's rays reflected off the blade. Moonlight dropped to all fours and began to canter out the gate. Just before Alanna vanished from sight, he heard her call out.

"I will see you all again soon!"

Alanna rode slowly though the city streets, and when the crowd thinned, she dismounted and walked. Being on Corus was different now. It no longer felt as it had before she left, now she felt like a visitor, no longer a resident. The City was different, and so was she. Before leaving Corus, Alanna had seen no more of Tortall than her home fief of Trebond, Corus itself and Port Caynn. Now she had seen so much more, she had visited the deserts, the mountains to the North and the Sea to the West. She had even ventured into the mountainous Galla and Maren. Almost all of her two years away had been spent on the road, rarely staying in one place any longer than a fortnight or so. They had avoided cities, and now Alanna knew she would have to get used to the bustle once more.

The Palace Way stretched before her and so she remounted and rode towards the palace, casting another glamour over herself. Although her Gift was recovering from years of disuse, the process was slow and she wasn't able to cast spells as easily as she had once done. Alanna wasn't sure when, or how, she was going to slip into court life again, but until then, she didn't want to risk causing an uproar by suddenly appearing from death. 

Anxiety and nerves abruptly clasped a cold hand around her insides and twisted hard. Before she went to see Thom, to allow herself to calm down, she entered the stables. A hostler tried to take Moonlight from her but she refused the offer and walked deeper into the building, until she stood at the foot of a ladder. Ducking behind a stall, she released the glamour, checking no one could see her.

Quietly she whistled a lilting melody. Above her, in the hay loft, she heard a body stir and then Stephan Groomsman almost fell down the ladder to end up at her feet. 

"Alanna?" he gasped, looking at her closely. "Gods be blessed." He cried when she nodded mutely. "I thought I had seen a ghost when I first clapped eyes on ye, but you're flesh and blood. You're back! You're really alive!"

"That I am." She assured him, touched by the quiet man's exuberance. Some of the other hostlers were casting curious glances towards where they were standing, so Alanna hushed the man.

"I need it kept quiet, not spread around the palace. Go to George tonight and he'll explain everything, and I shall be there as well, later on. But for now, I need to see my brother."

He nodded, drawing back slightly, then leant in and kissed her on the cheek.

"It is good to have you back."

"It is good to be back." She returned before raising the glamour once more and heading in search of a mage's rooms.

Eventually, after taking directions from a maid, Alanna stood in front of her brother's rooms. They were just down the corridor from a winding staircase which led up to Duke Roger's old rooms.

The door in front of her was the same as the sorcerer's had been; plain, dark wood. Nervously she raised a hand a knocked just below the bronze nameplate.

"Enter!" came the command from inside the room.

She put her hand on the door knob and opened the door. Thom sat before the fire, which was tinted lilac with his Gift. He was looking deep into the flames and Alanna could see hints of what he was watching. Moving figures battling each other inside a large hall, swords glinting and different colours of Gifts flashing. As she watched the pictures faded.

"What do you want?" he asked, his voice deep and arrogant. He turned to fact her and as soon as he laid eyes on her he conjured a purple ball of fire in each hand. Alanna watched him warily, unsure of what he was doing. Then he threw the balls at her. Instinctively she dodged them both.

"Thom!" She said, annoyed, "What do you think you are doing?"

"Why are you here?" he asked, ignoring her question. "Leave and stop tormenting me, hidden by glamours!"

"Oh, for Mithros' sake!" She exploded, her frustration aimed at both herself and her twin. He threw another mage ball at her, and at the same time that she evaded it, she removed the glamour.

"That won't help you." Thom said, his voice tight with anger as he faced her. "Taking my dead sister's body will not avail you this time."

"Thom, it is me." She insisted, moving nearer.

"Indeed. You are yourself." He agreed, a magical weapon beginning to form between his hands.

"No!" She exclaimed. "I am Alanna."

"Alanna is dead." He said calmly, although not without underlying emotion. "She is never coming back."

"I never died Thom." Alanna said softly, trying to think of a way she could convince him.

"Alanna died two years ago."

"No, I didn't. You're a Master of the Mithran light for the Goddess' sake. Surely you can tell when a soul does not belong in a body, or if a glamour is being used."

"Of course, there are ways. But why should I waste my time on an impostor?"

"Mithros, give me strength!" she implored. "Look at my aura. Do _something_!"

"Why?" He moved towards her, "Why are you so eager for me to use my Gift?"

"Because it is the only way I can think of to persuade you that I am Alanna." She paused. "Look." Focussing, she pulled a ball of her Gift out, into her palm. It was the exact same colour as the mage balls that Thom has thrown at her earlier.

"Examine it then!" She urged. "Is that an illusion?"

She felt part of his mind touch the ball in her hand. After a short time examining it, he snuffed it out with his own Gift, admitting,

"No, it isn't." he sat down in a chair, he knew that she had shown him the true colour of her Gift.

"Thom…" she started, moving cautiously towards him.

"That is the Trebond Gift." He acknowledged, and then spoke quietly to himself "But I killed her again, after I brought her back, and she had no Gift then."

"Who?" She started forward. "Who did you bring back?"

Thom bent over his knees where he sat, cradling his head in his hands, murmuring to himself.

"Alanna… tomb of heroes…" As soon as he heard those words Alanna froze.

"No. You didn't…" Barely pausing to raise another glamour, she turned from the room and ran. She heard Thom lurch to his feet and follow her. She had a harder time of it than her twin, as she did not know the way and was hampered by the dress she wore. Growling in aggravation, she grabbed a handful of the skirts in each hand and continued to run full pelt down the corridor.

She collided with a servant and hurriedly asked.

"Where is the Chamber of Heroes?"

"Down the hall and across the courtyard, My lady." He said, although bewildered, pointing out the way.

Just as Thom caught up, his face as red as his hair, Alanna began running again.

She clattered down the stairway, into the chamber, then slowed, looking back. She could see Thom, he was only half way across the courtyard. She progressed more slowly from then on, one hand bearing a torch she had taken from a wall bracket.

The room was magnificent, great pillars supporting the roof far above her. As the light flickered across the ceiling, Alanna saw ornate arched and carvings. 

As she read the names of those interred here, she was awed. These were some of the men who had saved Tortall or done a great service for their country. There were mages, warriors, the odd commoner and Kings. These were men she had grown up hearing stories about, sitting around the fire. She counted the tombs as she walked by. When she had passed fifteen of the greatest men ever born, she came to the newest tomb.

"They buried me here?" She asked aloud, in awe once more. She had done nothing to deserve such a great honour.

She moved closer to her tomb, hearing her twin finally walk into the room.

"You are a fool Thom. Even to think of bringing anyone back from the dead is madness."

"But she was my sister." He stood on the opposite side of the tomb. His arrogance and air of power had swayed and now she looked at a broken man. "I never had the chance to get to know her again. I thought her dead eight years ago, and just when I discovered she wasn't dead, she died again."

"Thom," she reached for his hand. "You never really lost me." She brought their clasped hands down, over the dead girl's face. Slowly the red hair faded to blond, the pale complexion became slightly tanned. At the same time, she removed the glamour she herself was wearing. Clasping her twin's other hand, the join shining violet with the Trebond Gift, she moved down the length of the body, until the two stood side by side at the base of the tomb. 

"See?" she said gently. "I never died."

Thom looked to be in a state of shock as he glanced between her and the body lying on the marble slab.

"Who is she?"

"Her name is Lucy. She was a friend of mine at the Court of the Rogue." 

Slowly Thom shifted his gaze to Alanna's face. His magic hit her as soon as their eyes locked.

Alanna could feel him looked at her, searching her memories. She was helpless to stop him. When he had finished and pulled away, they both collapsed to their knees on the floor from the backlash caused by the bond breaking.

"Goddess be thanked! Thom fell forwards, towards her, holding her close as he muttered into her shoulder. To her shock, Alanna also felt tears gathering in her eyes. The twins sat against the cold marble of Alanna's memorial, bearing the body of another victim of that battle. And they wept for everything they thought had been lost to them forever, and for everything they had gained.

**I know it's been ages since my last update, but here it is finally!**

**Let me know what you think.**

**HuntressDiana**


	20. Chapter Eighteen, Reunion

**Chapter Seventeen; Reunion**

They somehow roused themselves and managed to find their way back to Thom's rooms without anyone seeing them. It was dinnertime and as they crept past the Great Hall Alanna looked in and searched out Jon and the others. Thom noted her gaze lingering and then pulled her on gently by the hand. When they reached his rooms they both sank into chairs, emotionally drained. There was a slightly awkward pause, then Thom raised an eyebrow at her.

"What is there between you and the Prince?" He asked. 

She blushed slightly, but her eagle eyed twin spotted the colour in her cheeks.

"None of your business!" She retorted. "I haven't come back to be questioned by my twin."

He smiled knowingly at her and before he could say anything else, a knock sounded on the door.

Alanna sighed and raised her glamour again, relishing the long absent feeling of the magic washing over her skin.

Thom checked she was ready and then called

"Enter!"

A young man entered, dressed in the rough robe of the Mithran adepts.

"Master." He began as soon as he entered the room. "There was a problem with the experiment.." He held out a burned hand and a wet sleeve in evidence. He was in his early teens, with his hair only just growing back after a shaving. He caught sight of Alanna and, putting his hands together, be bowed low to her.

"I beg your pardon, my lady." He apologised. "I did not see you there."

Alanna rose and told him to do the same as her twin seemed perfectly happy to leave the boy bowing like that.

"This is Adept Henrim." Thom introduced them brusquely, "he is serving under me for a while." Alanna noted that he didn't introduce her and Henrim didn't ask for her name, so he simply nodded at him. Thom walked over to Henrim and the pair had a hushed conversation while Alanna stared into the fire, trying not to eavesdrop. Bored, she played with her belt knife, suddenly a bright flash of light caught her eye. She turned her head so she was facing where the light had come from, but nothing was there. Thom shut the door and she dismissed it as a torch light or a guard spell around one of Thom's works.

"You have an apprentice?" She asked as her brother sat back down,

"Not really. He was Master Raquel's nephew and he asked me, if anything should happen to him, to guide Henrim in his stead. He returns to the convents in the summer."

Alanna nodded in understanding, feeling the guilt surge again as she remembered what had happened to Master Raquel. He had died, among many others at the Great Palace battle… he had come there because of her, because he wanted to help her.

Thom broke in on her thoughts.

"Are you staying in the palace tonight? It's getting late." He was still a little awkward around her. It would take time for them to get to know each other again, and that time wasn't then. It had been eight years since they had last had a decent conversation. She was now Shang, and he was one of the strongest mages in Tortall. Alanna had heard about him while she was away, how he had broken down in abject despair at her 'death' and how he had brought himself back.

"No.  I must return to the Dove, I promised George I would."

"The thief?" Thom arched an eyebrow.

"It's a little late to be getting protective now." She retorted. "The man raised me for six years." Her twin winced and she softened slightly. "Besides, my suddenly appearing back at court might cause a panic. People might wonder who else will rise from the dead." She paused for a second, "Would you rather you came with me, to meet him?"

Regretfully he shook his head,

"I saw him at your… the funeral for a little while. Maybe some other time, for now we are living in two different worlds. Perhaps we should stay like this for a while."

On an impulse Alanna reached out and clasped his hand,

"I am still your sister, and your twin." she said firmly.

He looked her again frankly.

"I know what you are, but I am not sure I know who you are any more."

She nodded,

"You shall have time to get to know me again."

"When are you being reintroduced to the Court?" He asked, changing the subject abruptly. "I should like to be there. I have neglected to attend most of the other balls or celebrations."

"I don't know." She admitted. "Jon is taking me to see their majesties tomorrow. They, of course will have to know what really happened. But Jonathan thinks that they will probably want a ceremony to welcome me back as well as a ball." She grimaced slightly at the thought of having to dress up twice. To her amazement, Thom laughed. As far as she could remember, he had always been so serious.

"It is your own fault Alanna." He said. "You chose to become a heroine. Now you must face the consequences."

**The Tortallan Heroes and Emelan Circle awards which honour the best of Tamora Pierce fanfiction, are now accepting applications from judges for this years awards. Even if you signed up before, you will need to fill in the form at the website; you have any questions, feel free to email me at tortallianheroes@yahoo.co.uk and I will get back to you as soon as possible.**

**Thanks in advance,**

**HuntressDiana**


	21. Chapter Nineteen, Consequences

**Chapter Eighteen; Consequences.******

****

Hastily Alanna wiped the palms of her hands on the side of her skirt, then smoothed out the wrinkles. The guards and servants in the outer chamber of the audience room looked at her curiously. It wasn't often that the Prince brought a strange girl to see the King and Queen.

Alanna had darkened her hair to a russet brown at she kept her eyes downcast. She knew how fast gossip travelled around the palace. By nightfall everyone would suspect that Jon had presented his future wife to his parents. Before she could ponder that any further, Jon came out of the inner room and walked over to her, smiling.

She stood at once, and took a step towards him.

"Come on." He urged her. "They will see you now."

She took his outstretched hand and together they went into the inner office. Just before the door closed behind them Alanna heard a sudden outburst of chatter and stopped, releasing her glamour.

"Jon, are you sure this is a good idea?"

He turned around, not releasing her hand,

"Yes. I know it is." He replied firmly. He took hold of her other hand as she began to play with her dress. "You look wonderful, and you need to do this." He pulled her into the room behind him, before the King and Queen of Tortall.

He bowed and she curtsied, each letting go of the other's hands, but not before the King's quick eyes had seen them.

"Jonathan. My Lady." The two stood up and Alanna found herself looking at the monarchs.

Roald looked older than when she had last seen him. His hair held more grey streaks and more wrinkles were present around his eyes.

"Your majesties." She said, suddenly seized by a fit of nerves.

"Lady Alanna." The Queen, although she was sitting a little listlessly in her chair, drew Alanna's eyes towards her. Lianne's changes were nowhere near as noticeable as those of her husband, but she could see that the Queen was very pale and dangerously thin. When their gazes met, and held, Lianne nodded, then continued to speak softly.

"Please do have a seat."

After Alanna had sat in the chair indicated, Jon also sat. She groaned silently. __

_I thought I had cured him of doing that years ago!_

Roald leaned forwards.

"We are indebted to you, Lady Alanna. Firstly for healing our son of the Sweating Sickness, but also for your courageous deeds at the palace in the battle. We do not know how to repay you."

Lianne spoke quietly,

"Perhaps you would like to tell us yourself how you came to know about Roger's plan. Jonathan told us what he could, but he did not know everything."

So, a little hesitatingly at first, Alanna told them an edited tale of her life, missing out the Rogue, merely saying she had stayed with a kind family in Corus. After a while, when Jon came into the story, he added in bits. When she had finished, Roald sat back in his chair, expelling a long breath.

"You have led an adventurous life." he said. "But now I must ask you what you want to do now. If you wish to return to court we would gladly receive you and you are more than welcome to make your home at the palace. However, if you wish to return to the family you had in Corus, we will help you in any way we can, and the same if you wish to become full Shang. If you do choose to live in the palace however we will have to explain how you are alive."

"Father." Jon broke in, "When Lord Martin questioned us about Alanna, we told him that she had received a blow on the head in the battle and had suffered memory loss as a result. When she saw me in Persopolis and defeated the Ysandir, she regained her memories."

The King began to nod slowly.

"What of the body?" Lianne asked

"We said," Alanna explained, "That she was a friend of mine who looked like me."

"I see." Roald sat thinking for moment. "I think it is best if we let that be known. As you have started, so shall we continue."

"So, Lady Alanna, do you wish to return to court and reclaim your noble status and lands?"

Alanna only paused for a fraction of a second before answering.

"Yes. I do."

"Very well. You will have to be formally reintroduced, but until then may I recommend that you do not reveal yourself before then?"

"I shall return to the city for a while then, your majesty."

"In the city? Are you sure?" Lianne asked.

"I will be as safe there as here, your majesty, I grew up there since I was ten and the few who know I have returned will guard that secret well."

"Very well." Roald spoke. "We shall organise a ball with all haste."

"And I shall send some of my best dressmakers and servants to you on the day, and to make a dress for you. Where will you be staying?"

Alanna coughed slightly, catching Jon's eye.

"Perhaps it would be best if I came to the palace."

The queen raised an eyebrow enquiringly at her son,

"I know the inn where Lady Alanna will be staying. I do not mind escorting her." He offered.

"Is that agreeable to you?" She asked Alanna

"Yes, your majesty. May I ask when the ball will be held?"

"We shall try and arrange it for three days hence, so you do not have to be confined in the city for too long." Roald summoned a steward and said "See Master Oakbridge and inform him there is to be a ball in three days from now. Ask him to wait on me this afternoon, after the third bell."

The steward bowed, his face showing his surprise for a moment, before concealing it once more.

After he had left the room, Roald stood.

"Once more we thank you for all you have done for us, and for the realm. You defeated two of Roger's plots to kill us all. We are very much in your debt."

"And I am deeply in yours, Sire, for your forgiveness and understanding." Alanna replied as she too got to her feet.

"We shall see you in two days then, for the preparations."

She bowed her head and when Jon took her hand, smiling openly at his parent, they left the room.

When they reached the empty antechamber Alanna sagged.

"I'm glad that's over with."

He cupped her face in his palms.

"You did well. They liked you."

"They did?" Her lavender eyes met his sapphire ones. "I never knew people could be so solemn."

Jon laughed.

"You'll get used to it. They're not a bit like that in private."

"I'll get used to it will I?" She asked, beginning to walk. "And why would the King and Queen of Tortall allow a lowly Shang warrior to see them relaxed?"

Jon caught her around the waist and she paused, confused at the sudden determined glint in his eye.

"What is it?"

He bent down and kissed her firmly. She recoiled slightly in shock, but he followed her, so his body was pressed tightly against her own. After a while they separated from their passionate embrace, both panting a little and Alanna's face flushed.

"What was that for?" She asked when she had regained her breath.

"Just to remind you that you are far more than a 'lowly Shang'."

He placed another kiss on her lips, this one lighter and more teasing before taking her hand and tugging her out of the room and along the corridor.

"Come on!" He insisted, "We can go to my rooms. I would rather my parents or a servant didn't catch us out here."

Alanna looked at him, one eyebrow raised and he just smiled at her. Then the pair walked swiftly to Jon's rooms.

**Well, there is the next chapter for Lady Storm (finally)! **

**HuntressDiana**


	22. Chapter Twenty Unexpected relationships

**Chapter Nineteen; Unexpected Relationships.******

****

Jon and Alanna had only just entered his rooms when the great bell rang out from deeper in the palace.

Alanna cursed in annoyance.

"I've got to go and talk to Thom." She said, stopping in the middle of his room

"Do you really have to go now?" He asked, tugging on her hand gently.

"I really should. I need to ask him about what he did."

Jon sat on the bed.

"What did he do?"

"He tried to raise me from the dead."

"Mithros!" Jon whistled. "He is mad! He must be, even to attempt to do such a thing."

"He succeeded." Alanna said flatly. She crossed to the window and stared across in the direction of the Chamber of Heroes, remembering.

"But… you didn't die. So how could he resurrect you?" Jon's confusion was evident in his voice.

"He brought Lucy back to life. As far as I can make it out the spell worked, to a degree, and Lucy was awoken. But the spell didn't work properly. It was specifically to summon a dead sister."

"And Lucy…"

"I cast a glamour over her, and fixed it before I left, at the Ball. It seems that her own Gift was gone when she came back, so she couldn't reveal that she wasn't really me. The spell did something to her mind and I think Thom eventually killed her again."

"But he thought she was you…" Jon said.

"Yes." Alanna turned to face him when she heard the bed creak as he stood. "He thought he'd killed me. No wonder he attacked me when he first saw me."

Jon embraced her silently, knowing that there was nothing he could say to her that could help her or console her.

They stood there for a while, holding each other until Alanna broke away.

"I really should see Thom." She said, not meeting his eyes "and I need to arrange Lucy's burial, and talk to George."

Jon bent his knees until he could look her in the eye.

"Do you want me to come with you?"

She sighed

"Thom already suspects that there is something between us." She kissed him lightly.

"Would you rather wait until the ball before..." Jon let the sentence trail off

Alanna nodded, understanding.

"I think that might be best."

"My parents certainly suspect something. Knowing them, they will try and work out what is going on between us."

"Goddess!" Alanna exclaimed. "I don't even know what is going on between us."

Jon nodded solemnly and, as she took a seat on her bed, he sat on the chair, facing her.

"What do you want this," he gestured awkwardly with his hands "to be?"

"I don't know." She sighed. "I'm happy just being like this."

"As soon as we are seen at the ball together, gossips will have us either courting or betrothed."

She sat there for a while, thinking. He could tell by the way she stared out the window, and he waited as patiently as he could.

Eventually she reached over and took his hand, gently tugging him over to her. He sat beside her on the bed, not speaking, just looking at her.

"Jon… are we courting?" she refused to lift her eyes to meet his, incredibly nervous. "Because we are certainly not betrothed, and I don't see how we ever could be. You're going to be King and I am just some strange, noble who is Shang and Princess of the Rogue."

"I don't know what is going to happen in the future." He said softly. "But for now… I want to court you."

Alanna looked up, shocked and he was grinning broadly at her. Jon felt her tense up slightly, but to her credit she didn't look away. He pulled her into a tight embrace.

This was new to both of them. Alanna had never allowed herself to enter into a relationship since she had left Trebond, believing her father and brother to have abandoned her. She had refused to believe that anyone could love her. Even though, intellectually she knew that George loved her like a father and the Shang Dragon, Liam Ironarm, when he was alive, had loved her in a similar way. But for Jon to want to pursue a relationship with her, and to declare that he wanted to court her, was startling, to say the least.

Jon had never had to chase a girl before. Most of the ladies at court had their eyes set on him even before they arrived at court, or at least their families did. He had only to smile and dance with a Lady and she was his. But he had a feeling that Alanna wasn't going to be as easy.

"Oh." Was all that Alanna could say for a while. And then she burst out laughing.

"What?" Jon asked, slightly hurt by her reaction.

"Nothing." She choked out, "It's nothing." She tried to stifle her laughter, but gave up and buried her face in her hands. Jon just sat beside her, completely bemused.

"I'm sorry.  I'm sorry," she apologised as she calmed down, no longer sure whether she had been laughing because she was amused, or if she had been close to hysteria. "I just never expected this is happen."

"I didn't either." Jon said ruefully. "but I'm glad it has."

She sobered at once and looked at him frankly.

"So am I. Believe me, so am I."

**Hmmm…**** I'm not quite happy with this chapter, but I wanted to post it. **

**I run the Tortallian Heroes and Emelan Circle Awards for fanfiction, and the nomination period for this year has begun! If you would like to nominate your favourite fanfic, from all quartets, then go to the website (the address is on my bio page) and fill out the form!**

**I'm not going to be able to get online for the next month, so if you have queries, feel free to email me at and I will answer as soon as I am able. **

**Note to Judges; you should have received a password for the forum at the Dancing Dove- please do come along!**

**Thanks to everyone who has already nominated fics!**

**HuntressDiana**


	23. Chapter Twenty One, Memorial List

**Chapter twenty one; Memorial list**

****

Alanna collapsed on a chair at the Dancing Dove. George sat beside her on his throne, watching her with an amused eye.

"How did it go?" he asked eventually

She sighed and leaned forwards, to grab his tankard and take a deep swallow of his ale.

"That well eh?" He laughed

"It went better than I had expected." She admitted after a short while. "I'm being re introduced to court in a few days."

He didn't say anything then, sensing that there was something else that she wasn't telling him. In the silence that ensued Alanna heard her name being mentioned several times, and when she glanced up suddenly, a few voices fell silent and others snapped their head around, not wanting to be caught staring at her.

"There are so many new people." She said softly to George, turning back around and instantly feeling the prickle on the back of her neck which told her she was being observed again.

"Aye." He replied, "and most of them have never met you and only heard of you from others. You can't blame 'em for being curious."

Alanna nodded, taking another drink as she did so,

"I know, It's going to take some times for everyone to begin to trust me again. Marek hasn't looked away from me once since I walked through the door."

"Alanna. We all mourned you. We saw you buried." George said haltingly, remembering the long lonely days and nights, and locking down on the emotions that threaten to overwhelm him once more. "It's still hard to believe that you are here. We mourned you. We cried for you. And now you're here. Alive. You can't expect for everything to just snap back into the way it was before."

"I know! And I'm sorry!" her voice rose, forgetting about everyone else in the room. "I know it was my fault. And I know I abandoned you. And I never planned to come back. And I probably never would have returned if Jon hadn't found me. And now everything is so confusing, and so _different_!" Her voice broke slightly and she paused, frantically trying to collect herself Her voice was far quieter when she spoke once more, so only George could hear properly, although others strained to listen in.

"I'm trying to be a dead heroine, a noble lady, a mage, the girl the Prince is courting, a Shang warrior, and the Princess of the Rogue all at once. It's simply not possible. I can't do this all by myself."

She turned a pleading gaze on George, only to see him staring at her with a disturbed expression on his pale face.

"What is it?" she asked frantically, wondering what had happened to make him so angry, or upset.

Thankfully conversations had started up again around them, filling in the silence after her outburst.

" 'the girl the Prince is courting'?" he repeated slowly.

She flushed and sat back

"yes." She said plainly, waiting for his reaction.

He stayed silent for several minutes, his eyes firmly locked on his mug, which she still held, seemingly deep in thought.

Alanna watched him for a while, worrying at her hands, and then let her gaze wander around the bar. Old Solom smiled at her as he poured mugs of ale. Marek, seate by Rispah near the fire, met her look frankly until the older woman touched his arm. Then he nodded and she inclined her had in turn, being the first to break the look.

"Sweet Mithros." George expelled a long breath. "I knew the pair of you got on well, but I didn't know quite how well." When Alanna turned to look at him, he seemed to look older and smaller. "When?"

"He told me he wanted to court me this afternoon, a little while after we met with the King and Queen."

George began to speak, but cut himself off halfway through his first word, seeing her happiness. Carefully he schooled his features into something akin to pride.

"Congratulations." He took the tankard containing his ale from her a little too roughly and quickly downed the contents. "I'm very glad that you're both happy. The both of you deserve that. I got to know Jon quite well over the past two years." He stood up, dragging her to her feet with him. "Come along with me, I've something you need to see."

Alanna pushed her chair out of the way as he moved through the inn at a fast pace. When he stopped to exchange a few words with Rispah who had come to meet them at the door, she pulled on a cloak, grateful that she had managed to change into her shirt and breeches.

She followed George out of the door, and almost crashed into him, the only thing saving her dignity was her Shang reflexes. He pointed upwards.

"Look at the sign." He ordered, and obediently she did so. She had noticed the difference in the sign before, the dove itself had been repainted and the branch in its claws was wrapped with a violet ribbon.

"Marek painted that, early autumn a year ago."

Alanna smiled, touched by the silent memorial. Very few people would be able to understand the significance of the ribbon's colour.

"Remind me to thank him." She said, before turning to him. "But that's not what you brought me out to see, is it?"

"No." he gestured up towards the palace. "Come. We'll walk."

She nodded and linked her arm through his. "The King advised that I didn't show myself before the ball, so I'll have to use a glamour if we're going there." He waited for her to change her appearance and then they set off at a brisk pace.

They took a meandering route through the lower city. George was greeted by several people, and took the time to chase up a couple of Rogues.

They didn't speak much until they arrived at one of the smaller gates in the palace wall. The single guard posted there, took one look at George and opened the gate, admitting them instantly into the palace gardens.

When the gate shut behind them and they had walked a little way into the gardens George stopped.

"You can take that glamour off now. Not many people come here, and those who do know you're alive anyhow."

"Alright." Alanna released the strands of her gift which kept her false appearance and looked at him expectantly. "Where are you taking me George? What is it?"

"Just follow me." He said, disengaging her arm from his and beginning to walk again. He didn't look to see if she was following, or wait for her to walk by his side, he just led.

Alanna stared after him, still wondering. She hoped he wasn't taking her to the Chamber of Heroes. She hadn't been down there since she had realised what Thom had done, and honestly she wasn't terribly keen to go there again. Although, she would go into the Chamber once more, even though it filled her with feelings of guilt and grief. She owed it to Lucy, and she owed it to Lucy's family. She needed to arrange Lucy's funeral, when this time her friend wouldn't be buried wearing a mask.

She tore her gaze away from where it had come to rest on the roof of the chamber and looked for George.

He was still walking, and by now was some way down the path. She ran after him, winding around flower beds and ornately shaped bushes.

He stopped on a small, narrow path, made of dark slabs of stone. It led on to a clearing, passing through one side of a border of young trees.

Alanna peered into the grove.

"What's in there George?" she asked "I've never been in this part of the gardens before." This clearing was to the far side of the palace, near the edge of the gardens and close to the large lake. Although there was a side entrance to a wing of the palace nearby, Alanna had never gone through these gardens to use it.

"Go ahead Darlin'." he said, stepping off the path in front of her. "this is as far as I go for now. It's for you to see alone for the first time."

She nodded, still confused and moved forwards along the path. It curved slightly after she passed through the trees and she felt the light breeze being abruptly cut off as she entered the grove, the high hedges shielding her. She continued walking, hearing George's footsteps begin to follow her at a slow pace. It wasn't until she rounded the fountain that she saw what she had been brought here to see.

Hesitantly she took the last few steps up to the statue and pedestal.

Gingerly, still unsure of what she was seeing she knelt down close. Reaching out to trace the inscription, she realised her hand was trembling. Pausing for a moment she steadied it and then her fingers contacted the cool metal plate. As her fingers moved over the letters, George's voice came from behind her and took a seat on the rim of the fountain.

"Lady Alanna of Trebond and Silvereves. Heroine of Tortall."

She turned to him, one hand still on the inscription.

"Why…?" was all she could manage to say.

"This has only been here for a little over a year." He explained, staring at the statue, never meeting her eyes. "Jonathon asked for a memorial outside, before then we had gone to the Chamber of Heroes. Eventually that was just too hard for on both of us. We were trying to lay you to rest and seeing your body so often wasn't helping us. So he commissioned the best Court Sculptors to create this. They put it up on the first anniversary of the battle."

They sat there in silence for a while, George finally resting his gaze on the girl who sat there on the grass, in amazement, then his eyes flicked back up to the statuette. It was the same girl, riding a golden horse, hair and cloak rippling behind her in an eternal wind.

"Look on the side of the pedestal." He advised.

Alanna shifted on her knees to follow the command. When she saw what was engraved on the other three sides of the pedestal she sat back down again abruptly. There were all the name of those who had died in the Great Palace Battle. The list was headed with the name of her first Shang teacher, and friend, Liam Ironarm, the Dragon. Without his training she would have been turned away from the Shang school without a second thought. Although they had still been unwilling to take her on, her obvious eagerness to learn, her lack of family ties and skill had helped sway them. But it had been Eda Bell, Liam's teacher who had convinced them, and then Eda had taken Alanna on as her own student.

Her eyes travelled down the list of names, reading them all. Some she knew, they had been the members of the Rogue who had come to fight at the palace, on George's command. Some she recognised as being Lords and Ladies, members of the Royal Court. Others she didn't know at all and they would either have been servants or members of the Kings Own or Palace Guard. Commoners and Nobles alike were listed there, side by side on the cold black marble.

Finally, she looked up at her statue.

George had sat behind her, watching her as she examined her memorial. He watched as she moved on her knees, to look more closely at the statue of herself, her eyes wide in wonder.

As he was about to speak, she said softly.

"It's a good likeness."

"The sculptors had never seen you, so he decided to keep most of your face hidden after Jon and I said the carvings done by our descriptions weren't right."

"I like it." She whispered. "After all, I never showed my true face in the palace."

"Not so many died, did they?" he asked abruptly, moving so he was directly behind her. Understanding what he meant, her eyes dropped down to the list of names.

"It's long enough."

"Aye. That it is. But remember, if you hadn't done what you did, the list would have been longer and it might have included your friends too, as well as the King and Queen."

She nodded, in acknowledgement of that and then, haltingly, she began to speak.

"When I left I was so grief stricken and full of guilt that I saw or felt little else. I went blindly, just knowing I had to get far away. I hunted my food, or occasionally worked for it or stole some.

"About three months after, I found myself in the Great Southern Desert, and I managed to get lost. A Bahzir Tribe found me when I was delirious with thirst and heat. They took me to their healer and their shaman, but they kept away from me. It wasn't until two girls came to look after me, when I was still in the healer's tent, after the Shaman had refused to see me, that I realised why they were treating me so strangely. Firstly I wore no veil and I wore breeches and I carried a sword. They thought I was unnatural, the shaman told them I was a demon. But they told me that I had talked in my sleep." She paused for a second, looking down at her hands. "I had been crying out and begging the Gods for forgiveness for the deaths I caused."

George began to dispute that , but she held up a hand, silently asking him to allow her to continue.

"No wonder they thought I was mad or a murderer. Apparently the only reason the headman hadn't killed me, as the Shaman ordered was someone called the Voice of the Tribes had told him I was neither mad, or a killer and he was to protect me from harm.

"Still, they were quite eager to see me leave. From there, I decided that I needed to do something to make up for anything. So headed towards Maren, where I met Eda and Toran. And then I trained. You know the rest."

He nodded, and then, when a thought occurred to him, he asked.

"When are you receiving your name?"

"For better or for worse, the day after the ball. It's certainly not the best timing in the world, but I can't change either. The council will arrive on the day, but Toran and Eda will arrive the day before the ball."

"Which, of course they will be attending as Shang masters." He pointed out.

Alanna groaned.

"I hadn't thought of that. I've got a lot of explaining to do, haven't I?"

He smirked at her.

"That you have."

**Well I hope that is long enough for most of you! I'm back from holiday and September the first is the last day you can nominate your favourite Tamora Pierce fanfics for the Tortallian Heroes and Emelan Circle awards. Please do nominate fics you feel deserve to be judged at the website, the address is on my bio page.**

**HuntressDiana**


	24. Chapter Twenty Two, Preparations

**Chapter Twenty Two; Preparations. **

**Well, I hope this is long enough for everyone! For anyone who is interested in my awards; the judging is due to finish on the 10th of December, and results sent out very soon after that! It is all in the hands of my capable judges now.**

**HuntressDiana**

* * *

Alanna was woken up early the next morning by a sharp rap on her door.

"You up, girl?" Rispah called through.

Untangling herself from her sheets, the evidence of the troubled dreams she had been plagued with that night, she called back,

"Just a minute!" She pulled on her breeches under her nightshirt, buttoning them just as the door opened.

"Jon!" She exclaimed when she saw who was behind the door, "What, in Mithros' name are you doing here at this hour?"

Jon's eyes raked her body, taking in her dishevelled appearance.

"And it's nice to see you too Alanna." He said with a smirk firmly planted on his face.

She sighed, pulling a hand through her hair, and then she crossed the room to the doorway and rose up on her toes to kiss him swiftly on the mouth.

"It's nice to see you too. It would be nicer though, to see you in a few minutes when I'm ready and properly dressed."

He took the hint and, after a not so quick kiss, went back out the door, shutting it behind him.

Grinning to herself Alanna looked around her room, groaning at the mess and grabbed her hairbrush to tame her hair. Within ten minutes the room was presentable and she was properly dressed. She exited her room and hurried down the stair to the common room of the inn. She called a greeting to Rispah, ignoring the sly wink the older women threw her, along with an apple. She bit into the fruit as she caught sight of the Prince, in his disguise as Johnny the rich merchant's son. He was sitting by George, looking very uncomfortable as the thief king was talking to him intently in a hushed voice. Alanna, still chewing on her apple made her way across the room to the nook where the pair sat. She sat down next to Jon and instantly the conversation stopped.

"Why are you here Jon?" She asked

"Mother sent me to tell you that the dressmakers will be ready for you in an hour. Or at least it was an hour when I set out. It is a good deal less than that now."

She groaned,

"That's this morning?"

"The balls is tomorrow." He reminded her. "And the entire court is buzzing with excitement, wondering why a Grand Ball is being held on such short notice."

"Wonderful." She said wryly, "Just what I love, a whole court discussing me."

"You'd best be getting changed then lass." George said with obvious amusement. "They won't appreciate you arriving in breeches."

"I suppose not. I'll be back in a minute Jon."

He nodded resignedly as she stood.

She was back downstairs in a few minutes, wearing one of her old dresses,

"This feels a little odd." She admitted. "I've barely worn a dress is two years. I'm just grateful that I haven't grown!"

As soon as she had come down the sitars Jon had stood and excused himself in relief, bidding George farewell. The thief king nodded to her and she raised her glamour.

When they had left the Dove and were approaching the stables, Jon turned to her and asked dryly

"You didn't happen to tell him about our conversation yesterday did you?"

"No, I did. Why?"

"Ah, that would explain the conversation we just had." was all he would say until they reached the stables.

Alanna started getting her tack down as Jon tightened Darkness' girth. When she reached for her normal saddle though, he stopped her.

"What's wrong?" She asked

"You're supposed to be a normal court lady, for a while at least."

"You want me to ride side saddle?" Alanna asked incredulously.

He nodded and handed one over, laughing at the exasperated expression on her face.

"Fine then!" She said eventually, putting her usual saddle back and taking the side saddle from his hands, and laying it across Moonlight's back. "I hate this already."

Together they led the horses out to the far edge of the stable, until Jo turned to her with a playful gleam in his eyes and said

"May I assist you to mount my Lady?"

Before she could answer he had stepped in close and, putting his hands on her waist, had lifted her high into the saddle. She cried out slightly in surprise, but laughed as he kissed her hand before releasing her.

Although she would never be the typical noble lady, nor did she want to be, it was nice sometimes to receive the treatment that the court ladies did.

Jon grinned broadly at her laugh and swung into his own saddle, bowing elaborately.

"I live to serve you, my lady,"

She snorted at that.

"Hardly!" She nudged Moonlight to begin trotting. "Where are the Dressmakers?" She asked as Jon caught up with her.

"At the palace, in my mother's rooms."

As they rode the palace bell began to toll.

"We're late!" He exclaimed and urged Darkness into a gallop as they turned onto Palace Way. Alanna, now following copied him and together they thundered up to the palace. When they approached the gates they slowed to a sedate trot, Alanna pulling up to his side. The Guards stood back and let them through at once, but instead of going up the main path to the stables Jon veered off on a narrower path, through the gardens.

"Where are we going?" Alanna asked.

"Straight to my parents' rooms. We're late as it is, so I'll take the horses back to the stables after I leave you to the tender mercies of the dressmakers."

"Thanks Jon! By the way, am I meeting the dressmakers and Ariana or Alanna?"

He thought for a moment then replied.

"Alanna. Mother will have already sworn them to secrecy. They won't tell anyone."

"The Queen's going to be there?" She asked slightly nervously.

"She said she would be." Jon stopped Darkness in front of a small archway, leading into a courtyard and then, across that an open door beckoned. He looped Darkness' reins over a hook set in the wall and walked over to Alanna as she dismounted. He took Moonlight; reins as well, seeing her look at the door he asked gently.

"Are you ready for this?"

She smiled up at him,

"I think so."

He bent his head as she leant up to kiss him. His hands feel onto her waist as hers looped around his neck. Before the kiss could be come too heated she, regretfully, pushed him away, her hands resting between them on his chest.

"You should go in" He said quietly. "They are waiting for you. But first…" He brushed a black lock of hair away from her face.

She nodded and removed the glamour, changing her hair back to its usual copper and lightening her skin.

Dropping a soft kiss on her lips he swung himself on Darkness' back. "If you're finished before noon, I'll meet you in my rooms?"

"Sounds good." She agreed. "But I doubt we'll be finished by noon!"

At that moment, a maid who had been watching with wide eyes from the doorway cleared for throat softly. She curtsied as they turned to face her.

"Your highness, my lady. The Dressmakers are ready for you now." She tactfully decided not to add that they had been ready for a quarter of an hour.

"Very well." Alanna sighed.

As soon as she entered the room, Alanna was greeted by the sight of swathes of fabric draped across every available surface.

The maid, who had preceded her into the room, curtsied again and spoke clearly.

"Lady Alanna of Trebond and Silvereves your Majesty."

Alanna spotted the Queen sitting in a chair over the far side of the room and quickly also curtsied,

"Please forgive my lateness your majesty…" She began to apologise before the Queen smiled at the nervous girl.

"Don't worry about it Lady Alanna. And you needn't fear that any of these ladies will reveal your true identity to anyone else. They are all bound under oath; my son mentioned that you were concerned about that."

Alanna curtsied once more, although not as deeply.

"Thank you, your majesty."

"Then shall we begin? Lady Alanna, this is the Royal dressmaker Lena Tailor and her staff."

With royal permission granted the other ladies swarmed around Alanna, holding up samples of fabric to her face.

As the noonday bell rang, Alanna glanced longingly at the door. Lianne, catching the gaze, stood, saying to the Dressmakers.

"Do you still need Lady Alanna, Mistress Tailor? I am sure she has other engagements this afternoon."

"No, your majesty. We have chosen the colour and she selected a design, and we have her measurements. We will need another fitting though." She turned to Alanna. "When will be best for you my lady?"

Alanna watched the group of women begin gathering their things together, selecting threads and fabric, from where she was getting dressed behind a screen.

"I am free for most of the day tomorrow, and most of the remainder of today as well. I can come this afternoon if you need me, although I do have to meet with some people in the early hours of the afternoon, but they will be here at the palace."

"Perhaps another fitting this evening my lady, then a final one tomorrow morning?"

"What times?" Alanna asked, silently cringing at the thought of another two sessions such as this one. She was growing weary of being called 'my lady' and having pins stuck into her.

"Would the fifth bell of the evening and the second of the morning be agreeable?"

With a nod to the ladies, Queen Lianne stood from her chair for the first time since Alanna had entered the room, some three hours previously. It was well known that the Queen had weak health and she had never quite recovered from the spell Duke roger had put her under. Under his enchantment she had been slowly wasting away, until Alanna had killed Roger two years ago.

She ran a critical eye over the Queen. She was thin, and wavered slightly as she stood. With a sigh, Alanna realised that it was unlikely that Lianne would ever regain her health properly.

She spoke, breaking Alanna out of her thoughts.

"In that case, you may stay in this room for the remainder of the day and have the fittings in here too, as now Lady Alanna can find her way here. If you need anything, my personal maid will do all she can to help you."

With that, she left the room, gesturing Alanna to follow her.

When they had left the room, even with the door firmly shut behind them, Alanna could hear the sudden burst of voices and winced slight, knowing that they were in all likelihood discussing her. When the pair reached another door, leading into the main body of the palace, she stopped.

"You majesty…"

Lianne looked at her curiously, one hand resting on the doorknob. "Before I leave your rooms, I should cast a glamour upon myself, to change my appearance. With your permission…" She trailed off, once more wondering if she had committed some great error, but Lianne only smiled and gave her consent. Alanna stepped away from the Queen and closed her eyes, conjuring the appearance of Ariana once more, and she hoped for the last time.

"Impressive." Lianne said with a slight air of reproach, when she opened her eyes. "I can only imagine how useful that was in the last two years, to keep yourself hidden. Although your eyes are still very distinctive."

"Yes your majesty, I was never able to change my eyes." She replied flatly. "But it does drain me and the Shang masters do not trust those with the Gift as warriors so eventually I took to dyeing my hair brown, instead of using a glamour."

"I see." The Queen said thoughtfully. "I myself do not have the gift, although my son and husband do. Jonathan gets it from the Conté side of the family, not my Naxen side, although my brother, Duke Gareth, does have the Gift also." She resumed walking at a sedate place and Alanna walked beside her.

"I imagine," Lianne continued. "That you will be relieved not to have to hide after tomorrow night."

"Yes." She replied politely. "It does get tiring always having to remember to use a glamour every time I step out of doors."

By now Alanna had guessed that Lianne was leading her away from the Royal wing and into the quarters where the Knights were roomed.

"Why have you returned to Corus though, Lady Alanna? If you hated this life so much that you fled from it and faked your own death to do so, why return? Is it because of my son?"

Alanna replied just as frankly.

"I didn't run because I hated my life here. I left because I thought that I had failed. I was told that many of my friends, including Prince Jonathan, were dead. Most had only come to the palace to fight because of me, and so they had died. I was told that my twin, who I had just become reacquainted with, scarcely an hour previously, had also been killed.

"Roger also told me things, poisoning my mind. So I felt it best to leave, that those who remained alive would be better off if I was far away." She paused, gathering her thoughts, and then continued.

"As for my return; I would be lying if I said that Prince Jonathan wasn't part of it, but I have my twin here, and the family that adopted me when I first came to Corus."

At that moment the Queen stopped in front of Jon's door, and Alanna realised that she had been speaking too candidly.

"Do you love my son Alanna?" Lianne asked softly, for the first time neglecting to be formal and foregoing titles.

Alanna looked up into her pale blue eyes and she saw that she wanted a true answer, not a flowery reply.

"Honestly, your majesty? I don't know." Alanna took a deep breath. "I know that I do care for him very much indeed. But I have never really known love like that before. Thom, my twin loves me, and George, my foster father loves me, and I know I love them. But the other kind of love… I have never felt it."

"Thank you for being so honest with me Alanna. I think Jonathan is waiting for you now, but I will look forward to seeing you again this evening. If the fitting runs on too late for you to ride back to the inn, then a room will be prepared for you."

"Thank you, your majesty." Alanna curtsied as the Queen bowed her head slightly.

"Until the fifth bell then Lady Alanna."

"Yes, your majesty. Until the fifth bell."

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**I hope you enjoyed that, please do let me know what you thought in a review...**


	25. Chapter Twenty Three: Arrival

**Chapter Twenty Three; Arrival.**

Alanna watched Queen Lianne walk away, before knocking on Jon's door. She turned the knob and entered when a male voice called for her to enter.

To her surprise, Jon wasn't in the room; instead Gary, Raoul and Alex were sprawled across the small room Jon used as a study.

They all jumped to their feet as she entered, looking for her strangely.

"Are you lost my lady?" Alex asked courteously. She looked at him for a second, before answering, confused.

"Of course not, why would I be?"

Gary, looking closer at her eyes, then let out a chuckle.

"Alanna, is that you?"

"Of course it is me!" She replied tartly. "Who else would just walk straight into the Prince's rooms?"

"You are still wearing your glamour." Raoul pointed out. She cursed under her breath, now understanding their confusion. She had forgotten again, and swiftly released the glamour before sinking into a chair.

"I've just been at a dress fitting." She said by way or explanation. "For the ball tomorrow night. And of course, on my way to and from there, I had to be disguised."

The knights nodded in understanding.

"So where is Jon?" she asked after a slight pause, "He said I should meet him here after I escaped from the dressmakers."

"The King wanted to speak with him about the ball, and Jon's going to fill us in on what is happening over lunch." Alex explained.

"Will you all be there?" She asked, keen to have come familiar faces in the Grand Ballroom on the night.

"Of course." Gary said "I can't wait to see their faces when you reappear from the dead!"

"Anyone's faces in particular?" She enquired archly.

"Just everyone's!" He laughed, imagining the reaction to the stunning news.

Alanna groaned,

"Well, I'm glad some one is going to be enjoying themselves. Now I remember, after spending all morning being attacked with pins, cloth and designs why I hate dress fittings." The men chuckled at her agonised face. "And." She declared theatrically "I have to attend another two! One this evening and another in the morning."

Their conversation continued mainly in this vein, the knights gently teasing her until Jon returned from his meeting with his father.

"Tomorrow night will certainly be interesting to say the least." He announced as soon as he had entered. When he spotted Alanna, he added. "Oh good, you're here." He leant on the edge of the desk beside her, reaching out to take her hand. "Father wants me to tell you all what to do at the ball. Master Oakbridge is alternately rejoicing that he can show off his dramatic side and panicking because we have no time for a rehearsal. Father's just told him there is an important mystery guest, who will be sitting at the Royal table."

It was an hour later, at least, when he finished explaining. Halfway through a servant had brought up a bowl of fruits as well as a tray of bread and cold meats for them to eat. On hearing the knock, Alanna had dodged into Jon's bedroom, only to emerge when the servant had left, only to find them all in fits of laughter at what the servant must have thought, seeing all four men grouped in front of the bedroom door, and five chairs pulled into a circle. Still, it would have been far worse if she had seen Alanna, without a glamour and in the presence of four men, unchaperoned. Gossip would have spread around the palace like wildfire, from servant to noble.

Eventually Alanna stood from her chair.

"I need to see if Toren and Eda have arrived yet. I need to explain to them alone, rather than wait for them to find out at the Ball. I don't think they are going to take it terribly well though." She sighed, self revulsion evident in her eyes. "They'll probably hate me."

Jon also stood, taking both her hands in his, and turning to face her, subtly making it a private moment between them.

"Why would they hate you?" he asked gently.

"Because I've lied to them for years. They thought I was a Giftless commoner, and now I have to tell them I'm a Gifted Noble. I can't imagine they will take that well."

"Surely you don't think that they will renounce you, when you tell them the truth?" Gary said, also getting to his feet.

"Won't they?" She removed her hands firmly from Jon's grip, turning to face them all. "I've lied to them, ever since we met. But it isn't really them I am worried about. It's the Council of Elders, although I never used my gift while training, they regard it as a crutch. They could easily refuse to recognise me as Shang and even throw me from the order.

"Would they actually do that?" Alex enquired.

"I don't know." She responded haltingly, "It's never happened before."

"Well." Raoul said practically. "If you want to find Eda and Toran, the first place Shang warriors usually head for is the practise courts."

She nodded. "Before I see them, I really need to change out of this dress though."

"What will you change into?" Jon asked sensibly. "All of our clothes would be far too big for you."

She laughed at that, before assuring them that she had a spare change of clothes in her saddlebags. So together, after giving Alanna a couple of seconds to raise her glamour once more, they left Jon's rooms and walked to the stables. While the knights stood outside the stable doors, deterring anyone from entering, Alanna whistled for Stefan as she found her clothes in the saddlebags slung over the stall door. The ostler slid down the ladder from his hayloft, the horses all whickering a greeting as he did so, he looked slightly bemused until she explained why exactly she needed to use his hayloft. With a chuckle he offered to stand guard below the ladder, just in case someone slipped past the knights outside. After a swift change into breeches and shirt, and binding her hair back with a leather thong, she left a message with him to be passed on to George, explaining that unless her dress fittings finished early enough, she would be staying at the palace.

When they arrived at the practise courts, although one court was taken up by pages and squires training, the others were mostly clear, with only an older knight training.

"They're not here yet." Alanna said flatly.

"No." Jon said, his smile evident in his voice, "But while we are here and waiting for them…" He opened the gate and held it open for the others to walk through. "I'm sure I'm not the only one who wants to spar with you."

"I don't have my sword with me!" She protested, even as he closed the gate behind her. "And I doubt you could match me in a Shang battle."

"There are swords in that building over there." Gary pointed out. "You should find one suitable."

Alanna walked over to the building he had indicated. The swords were mostly blunted practise swords for the pages, some with lead weights in the hilt and along the blade. Near the end of the rack though, hung the swords she was looking for. They were more suited to her, being smaller and sharper. Running her fingers along the plain hilts, wrapped with bronze wire for grip, she selected one, weighing it in her hand before putting it back at once, it was too heavy. After examining a few more she selected one that would do. Making a few practise sweeps in front of her, she left the hut.

Ignoring the knights who were warming up at the other end of the practise court she leant the sword against one of the fence posts and began the extensive preparation for a fight that she had done every morning for nearly two years. It started with simple stretches, then progressed into pattern work and finally into some small acrobatics. When she straightened from her last tumble, Alanna took her sword and performed one more pattern dance before moving to the middle of the court. The others conferred for a few seconds before Jon came to challenge her, with Gary serving as a referee. Raoul and Alex had moved away to the fence, where they were lounging.

"No tricks!" The Prince warned her, a playful glint in his eyes.

"As if I would!" She exclaimed.

"When the pair of you are quite ready..." Gary said, cocking an eyebrow and sounding remarkably like his father. Instantly they both became solemn and assumed a guard position. Gary held their sword tips level with his own, looking between them before backing away and declaring "Begin!"

Instantly Alanna struck with a simple crescent cut which she knew Jon could block easily. As expected he blocked it and then swung his blade at her legs. She swiftly jumped over the sword, twisting and striking at his torso while still in the air. He dodged her blow and she landed in a low crouch, sword guarding her face. Restraining herself from an instinctive move; sweeping his legs out from under him with a low kick, she blocked a blow and rose to stand before him. Jon lunged at her with a series of blows, high, low, at her arms, at her legs. She blocked most, and dodged the rest, waiting for her chance. She saw that sweat was beginning to drip into his eyes, as he shook his head roughly, circling her, in an attempt to rid himself of the irritation.

_There! _She lunged in as she saw him falter slightly, his guard never wavering, but his attention momentarily diverted. He sword slid under his out stretched arm and although every watcher was left with no doubt that she could have impaled him if she so chose, she carried on with the attack. Her cross guard fitted neatly behind his and with a twist of her body and flick of her wrist, she loosened his grip and sent his sword flying to land feet away from his hand. Before he could attempt to retrieve his weapon, her sword was presented at his neck. With a slight hint of reluctance he stepped back and bowed, acknowledging her victory.

"I should have known," he said, slightly out of breath. "I used to be better than you with the sword, but you're Shang now. I beat you once before, I should have expected to be beaten in repayment."

Before Alanna could reply, a slow handclap began at the edge of the court. As they turned in surprise, other people joined in the applause. Alanna blushed as she realised the pages were clapping as well as her friends. Jon took her hand and pulled her into a half mocking bow.

A sardonic remark then met Alanna's ears.

"I told you if we were to look for her, we would find her here. For where else would you find Ariana but on the practise courts?"

She spun once more, towards the voice, pulling her hand out of Jon's rapidly.

"Toran!" She exclaimed, hurrying over to them. "Eda!"

"Indeed, my Lady Storm." Toran said, bowing deeply. The older woman standing next to him slapped him gently around the head. She was dressed much the same as Alanna, in tan breeches and a worn men's shirt. Alanna didn't even bother with the gate as it was on the opposite side of the courts to them, simply vaulting over the high fence, and at once embracing her teacher and fellow student.

At last, pulling back, she grinned broadly at them both.

"What took you so long to get here?" She demanded. "I expected you here at least by mid day!"

"We were held up for a day or so in Maren," Toran explained. "But explanations can wait for the moment..."

"You look well child." Eda interrupted. "Did you find what sent you to Persopolis?"

"Yes." Alanna said slowly. "And I need to talk to you both about that urgently. This afternoon." Seeing her serious and anxious expression Toran let all foolery drop.

"Are you staying at the palace?" She enquired.

"Yes." Eda replied, "And we can go and talk now, in my rooms, if you want."

"Lead the way." Alanna said with forced cheerfulness.

Looking over her shoulder as the Wildcat led the way to the guest rooms, Alanna exchanged glances with her friends. They all waved to her and she saw Jon mouth 'luck' to her. She nodded and faced the backs of the two Shang warriors, taking a deep breath to calm herself.

She would need that luck before the afternoon was over, of that she was sure.

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**Well, I had intended to update more of my fics than just this one for Christmas, but real life simply got in the way! So I hope you like this chapter, and have a wonderful holiday and I wish you all the best in the new year!**

**HuntressDiana**

**(PS: THA and ECA judges; I need your results!)**

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	26. Chapter Twenty Four: Fidelity

**Chapter Twenty Four; Fidelity.**

"What has you in such a state?" Toren asked as soon as Eda had shut the door behind them.

Eda, seeing that Alanna needed a little like to organise her thoughts, called Toren over to help her move a heavy bench nearer. When the two had sat down, Alanna slowly walked over from her position near the door, wringing her hands in anxiety. She took a seat on the chair opposite their bench. Now she was face to face with the two people she had lived with, and come to love over the years she had studied Shang, and she was at a complete loss for words.

Finally Toren's impatience grew too much for him and he blurted out

"Just say it!"

Eda spoke more softly, counselling her charge to be calm. She had never seen the girl this nervous before.

"Ariana, tell us now, it will only be the worse for the waiting."

Nodding, Alanna straightened her back and, taking a deep breath said simply,

"I'm not quite who you think I am." She paused to bolster her courage, knowing that this was the last moment she could change her mind about telling them the truth. "I'm not Ariana, a commoner from northern Tortall. My real name is Alanna, and I'm a noble."

After a moment Toren broke out into laughter,

"Well that's an eye opener for sure." He said, still chuckling. "I can't wait to see the faces of the Elder's Council when they're told that one of their warriors, apart from being the oldest student to join Shang, is a noble lady!"

"But why the secrecy?" Eda asked.

"There is more." Alanna said hesitatingly, although they'd taken that piece of news well, the next piece was more likely to stun them. "My full name is Lady Alanna of Trebond and Silvereves."

She waited, knowing that Toren, who loved to hear palace gossip, would soon put everything together.

He stared at her for a moment, his mind processing what she had said.

"But she's dead." He stammered out at last.

With a sigh, knowing that what she was about to do went completely against all the Shang teachings she removed her glamour, shedding the dark colour of her hair, revealing the natural copper red tone.

"No. I'm not."

"Shang masters!" They both sprang to their feet, the Wildcat looking disappointed but not as shocked as Toren.

After the stunned silence stretched between them, the older woman broke it, saying

"I have to admit that this isn't as large a surprise as it could have been. Although I had no idea that you were gifted."

"How…" Alanna began.

"Liam wrote me a letter before he died." Cautiously Eda sat back down, replying to her query with sober eyes. "And in that letter, he told me about a student he'd picked up. A noble lady, who was a member of the thieves' guild in Corus. He had never mentioned you before, but he did in that final letter. Perhaps he knew that his death was near, a Doi told him that he would know when the time came.

"I knew, as soon as you arrived that you weren't telling us everything about yourself and slowly, seeing how you acted and fought, and based on Ironarm's description of your rather… unusual eyes, I guessed that you were the girl he had trained. Although he never mentioned your name, or that you had the Gift."

"He hated my Gift." Alanna said, remembering. "He refused to let me heal him more than once. Mostly he liked to pretend that I didn't have the Gift, and I did nothing to remind him."

"Perhaps you should tell us the whole story." The Wildcat suggested. "Toren. Sit." Her words flicked out sharply. "Give the girl a chance to explain."

So Alanna did. She told them the bare facts of her life, trying to restrain her emotions and not let them colour her speech.

After she had finished she sat there, perfectly still, waiting for their reactions. Eda's face was impassive, neither condemning, nor reassuring. Toren's face, however, showed his feelings all too clearly. Hurt, betrayal, confusion and anger all flashed across his face in turn. Eventually, Alanna broke the silence when she could stand it no longer.

"Please." She begged. "Say something."

"Say what?" Toren burst out. "That everything is fine? You lied to us for years and pretended that you were something that you weren't!"

Pushing himself off the bench violently, he stormed out of Eda's rooms. Beseechingly, Alanna turned to face Eda.

"He is right Child. You know him. Give him some time to calm down, and then try again." She paused, seeing the girl's eyes were shining with wetness. "If I didn't already know some of what you told me, I might be reacting the same way."

"I've never used my Gift in a fight since the battle in the palace!" Alanna explained, desperately seeking her teacher's approval. "Liam told me that one of the reasons that Shang didn't accept Gifted students was because they would need training for their magic and that would distract them from their Shang training."

"That is correct." The Wildcat said calmly.

"Usually you take children under seven years old, but I was far older than that when I began and I had all my Gift under control."

"I understand." The older woman said "I may not approve, but what is done is done. In my eyes you proved yourself to me when you were accepted and I took you in two years ago." Alanna flung herself at the other woman, embracing her tightly in relief. "But what are you planning on telling the council tomorrow?" Eda asked warily, looking down at the copper head.

"I wasn't. I trained as Shang as Ariana, and I'll receive my name as Ariana. I'll deal with the rest as it comes. I know I will have to tell them eventually." She glanced towards the door. "But for now…"

"Go!" Eda urged, catching the look. "You need to make him understand, or he will certainly do something rash. I will keep my silence."

With a deep, heartfelt bow, Alanna ran from the room. Once she was gone, Eda allowed her composure to slip. Resting her head in her hands, the Wildcat sighed. She didn't know what this would mean for her student, for Ariana, or Alanna, as she supposed she should get used to calling her, of for their way of life. But one thing was certain, neither of the two would ever be quite the same after the truth came out. Looking up to the heavens, she sent out a prayer to any god that Toren would listen. She thought that he would, like her, keep silent about the revelation, but would he ever find it within himself to forgive Alanna? She honestly didn't know.

Alanna ran through the back hallways of the palace, only remembering to colour her hair seconds before heading to where she knew he would be. She searched one practice court after another. They were mostly deserted now; while they were talking the dinner bell had sounded. Only a few pages, squires and knights, either finishing their exercises or undergoing punishment were left, and most were heading into the buildings. Then Alanna spotted him. He was in the furthest court from the palace, attacking a punching bag stuffed with straw. Leaning on the fence, feeling awkward, she watched him. His fury showed in his every move. He wasn't sparing himself, or the bag, at all, every hit knocked the bag to the furthest reaches of the chain and forcing him to block or dodge when it swung back. Eventually he stilled the bag, panting and red faced.

"I know you're there." He said, his tone harsh and clipped, his anger evident.

"I'm sorry." She offered, not quite knowing what else to say.

He didn't turn to face her, speaking with his back to her,

"Just leave. This isn't going to be solved by talking."

She swallowed, making a split second decision. Slowly she walked through the gate.

"Fine."

Then he did turn around.

"What are you doing? I told you to go away."

"You also said that we wouldn't solve anything by talking. So, let's solve it another way."

"You want to fight me?" He asked incredulously. She only shrugged, beginning some basic stretches.

"This has to be solved eventually. And you're obviously angry at me, so this seems like the best way."

"All right then. No cheating." He warned her, falling into a ready stance.

She bowed to him, a courtesy he had deliberately missed, before doing the same.

"I've not used my Gift in a fight for two years." She said in response to his insult, before the fight began.

With a fierce animalistic yell, Toren attacked, coming at her in a flurry of blows, aiming everywhere; her head, torso and legs. His anger lent him strength and agility. It was all Alanna could do to defend herself from this onslaught. He leapt high in the air, like the falcon he had taken the name of. His kick sent her reeling back and although she flipped enough to bring herself onto her feet, she refused to take advantage of the distance and attack him.

He noticed it after a time and dropped back, dancing around on the balls of his feet.

"Why don't you fight properly?" He taunted.

"Because I don't need to." Was her calm rejoinder, hands in a blocking position as she dodged another kick at her midsection.

"Prove to me that you are a proper warrior!" He challenged. "Fight me properly."

"No." She shook her head, wiping hair and sweat from her eyes. "I shouldn't have to. You fought with me every day for two years. I never used my Gift then, why should now be any different? I'm the same girl I was then, but now you know the whole truth."

After a while's contemplation, Eda rose from her seat. She had made her decision, now she had to help Alanna calm her other student down before he did something rash. She left her room, hurrying towards the training grounds, only to meet four knights moving in the same direction.

"Prince Jonathan. Sir Knights." She greeted them, barely halting her steps in time.

"Mistress Bell." Jon said sharply, "How did your meeting with Al…" he paused, "Ariana go?"

She looked him over with a critical eye.

"You all know?" She asked plainly. At their nods she sighed, "Toren hasn't taken it at all well and she is probably with him now."

"Where?" The largest knight asked.

"Most likely at the practice yards." Together they hurried out, instantly seeing the pair.

When they approached the fence they saw Alanna block a punch, but she wasn't fast enough to defend herself against the axe kick that came at her next.

She was knocked backwards, onto the floor and before she could rise, Toren was straddling her upper body, hitting her everywhere. All precision was gone from his movements but still the blows made contact too hard and too often for her to do much more than protect her face and body the best she could.

The knights broke into a run, Jonathan was the first to get through the gate, his face terrible with fear for the girl. Eda restrained him with an arm across his chest.

"No!" She hissed fiercely. "Don't disturb them."

"But he's practically killing her!" he shouted.

"Don't you think that she could have stopped him by now?" The Wildcat turned to face them all. "Look at them. She's letting this go on."

In the silence that followed her proclamation they heard Toren's voice sounding into the silence.

"Why won't you defend yourself?" He demanded of her. "Go on, _Alanna_." His voice dripped with contempt. "Use your magic. Save yourself!" His blows slowed and then Alanna spoke, her voice hoarse with pain but still calm.

"No, I won't. I don't cheat and I don't need a crutch."

In one smooth movement she kicked him off her and then, swinging her legs, came to her feet, biting down on her lip to suppress the pain. Although Toren hadn't broken any of her bones, she knew that she was going to have some very serious bruising.

"I have never used my Gift in a fight since I joined Shang. For the years I was Ariana I didn't use my Gift once, except to drain it at the beginning."

The Falcon launched himself at her again, but his attack had lost some of its ferocity. When she saw that he was fighting properly, locking down on his emotions she too allowed to fight to escalate, attacking as well as defending.

Those waiting by the fence noted the change and were silenced. Eda released her hold on the Prince's arm when she saw that they were no longer planning to rush to Alanna's aid. Although the Shang mistress had seen the two sparring many times before, they had never possessed the same enthusiasm and fervour as they did now. They were both trying to prove something. Toren to cling on to what he had believed for most of his life, and to show he was right, Alanna to demonstrate that she was a warrior worthy of Shang.

The exchange of blows was fast and furious. Alanna's roundhouse kick was blocked and Toren grasped her foot, spinning her over. She managed to catch him in the ribs with her other foot before landing in a crouch, ducking under his back hand blow, then sweeping his legs out from under him.

These two were at the peak of their physical finesse. Each blow was hard, perfectly timed and purely instinctive. There was no time for either of them to think about what blow to throw next or to plan a strategy. They just fought.

Eda, watching from the side knew what was going to happen eventually. Currently their control was firm enough that if one of them missed a block, the other could deflect their own hit so the other wouldn't be killed. But they were coming to that part of a long fight when that control began to waver. They could wound each other very easily if that happened. Both of them had fiery tempers and that could prove their ruin. She moved towards them when she saw Alanna barely block a hook kick to the back of her head and then swiftly retaliate with a spinning kick and punch combination which Toren had to drop to the ground to avoid.

"That is enough!" Eda barked, moving towards them as she did so. Automatically, used to hearing that command in daily sparring, the two backed away slightly. That was enough for the older woman to step between them, catching a wrist in each hand. She pulled them apart with a sharp tug. Alanna was the first to realise what her teacher wanted, and put her hands down by her sides.

Eda jerked her head towards the fence. Alanna nodded, and although her ribs ached from a well placed snap kick of Toren's which had got through her defences, she bowed, first to Toren, who ignored her, and then to Eda.

When Alanna reached the fence, the knights entered the yard and tried to gather around her. Gently she pushed them away, thankful for their care, but knowing that this wasn't the time. At their puzzled and slightly hurt looks she spoke softly, her eyes never leaving Toren and Eda.

"Not now, please. Later."

They muttered their agreement and left, Jon pressing her shoulder and saying quietly in her ear.

"We'll wait in my rooms." He then left with the other men, all casting anxious looks over their shoulders at the girl, obviously unwilling to leave.

Alanna watched the men leave and then looked back at the two Shang masters. Toren had lowered his fists and stood in a more relaxed manner as Eda spoke to him intently. She couldn't hear the words but it was clear that they were having an effect on the Falcon. His shoulders slumped and his eyes flickered over to her often. After a long while he replied to Eda and then turned to face Alanna. His eyes met her gaze and although there was still betrayal and hurt in his expression, there was less hatred there than before. She grew more hopeful, he seemed to accept the truth more.

Solemnly he bowed to her. It was exactly the correct depth one warrior should offer another. When she replied in kind, her bow was deeper, as was correct for a student honouring a master. Something briefly flashed through his eyes. Before she could decide what it was, it was gone and he walked through a different gate and strode in the direction of his rooms.

As Alanna watched him leave, Eda came back to where she stood.

"Give him some time." She recommended. "He's had a shock and you know how he is about people lying to him." She waited for Alanna's understanding nod before continuing. "He's vowed not to say anything."

"Eda." Alanna said, staring down at her hands, noting that she was bleeding from a knuckle. "Do you think that he'll ever forgive me?"

The Wildcat sighed.

"He will in time. Or if not forgive, then he'll come to accept it. We'll be staying here a while, but let him come to you."

With that she also left, wondering if it was possible for any more revelations to hit her today.

Alanna, after letting out a long sigh, also walked away from the training yards, thanking the Great Gods that no one had seen the display that they had just put on. Jon and the others would be worrying about her and she needed to heal herself so she wouldn't have any visible bruises for the fitting later that day or for the ball. At that thought she paused, suddenly worrying about the time. A swift glance at the sun reassured her that she had at least another hour before the dress fitting.

She sighed again, casting another glamour, this time not only to conceal her bright hair, but also her cuts and bruises as she made her way to the Prince's rooms.

* * *

_**Well, I hope the length makes up for the huge delay in posting!**_

_**What did you think? Please let me know!**_

_**HuntressDiana**_


	27. Chapter Twenty Five: Identity

**Chapter Twenty Five: Identity.**

**AN: here's the annoying thing; I had most of this chapter written and then my computer went and died on me. So I'm currently writing on a laptop with odd keys… in any case- I wish everyone a wonderful holiday and I'll do my best to give you another update before the New Year!**

**HuntressDiana**

**xxx**

Alanna winced as Jon touched her arm with his fingertips, pushing his Gift into the large bruise that was beginning to form on her upper arm. As she stood there, gathering her Gift, rusty from lack of use, she assessed the ranger of her injuries. Most were light bruises and cuts; things she would never have bothered to even clean thoroughly when she was still in Shang training. Now, when the truth was revealed, she doubted that she would be allowed to become a full Shang warrior, and she had a ball to attend soon in any case. The worst hurts that she had received from her fight with Toran were the bruise on her arm that Jon was dealing with and an ache in her ribs.

As soon as she had entered the Prince's rooms the men had hurried to her side, Gary and Alex asking questions, Jon looking furious whilst Raoul, although his eyes were worried, looked at her reassuringly. She had the feeling that the big knight understood her reasons better than any of the others.

"How did it go?" Alex asked. "After we left?"

Looking ruefully down at her rumpled and dirty state Alanna replied dryly,

"Not as well as it could have, but it certainly could have been far worse."

At that Jon exploded.

"'Far worse'?" He yelled. "He was trying to kill you! And Mithros, you were just letting him!"

"I did not!" she retorted hotly. Forcibly calming her tone, she inhaled then continued. "I am a trained Shang warrior. Do you honestly think that I couldn't have fought back if I had wanted to?"

"So why didn't you?" Gary questioned.

As Jon withdrew slightly from her side, his face thunderous but his touch still gentle, she sat, looking up at them all.

"I know Toran well. Someone once lied to him and believing the lie cost him his family." Her voice wavered slightly, "they told him they were someone else, and he believed them. Now do you understand why he feels so betrayed? I also lied about my identity." She had been staring at her clasped hands for the last part, looking up after a silence to see matching looks of worry on their faces.

"I am fine." She insisted. "I've been in far worse fights than that one and received far more serious injuries."

Seeing that their expressions did not change, she sighed, standing abruptly.

"If you'll excuse me I have yet another meeting with Mistress Tailor and I need to tidy up and change." With that she swept out of the room, bidding them all goodbye.

Raoul spoke first as they watched the door swing shut behind her,

"Jon, you'd best go after her; she's more likely to listen to you than to any of us.

The prince nodded and left at a jog, following Alanna's path.

Alex whistled lowly.

"One thing hasn't changed about her; she's still touchy."

Raoul let out a chuckle.

"More things than that have changed though." Gary commented thoughtfully, "She's calmer for one thing. There was a time when as soon as anyone said anything which might cast doubt on her fighting ability, she'd have challenged them on the spot."

"She's quieter as well." Alex added, "her time away has changed her, no doubt about that."

Only Raoul stood silent, the big knight staring out the window to where he could see Jon catching up to the fiery red head.

Finally, moving away from the window, he sat on the bed, speaking softly in a way that ended the conversation.

"It seems to me that she smiled a lot more then."

Jon caught her hand as she walked down to the stables to collect her dress.

"I'm sorry." He began. "I was just worried about you, we all were. We don't want to loose you."

The 'again' at the end of his statement went unsaid, but understood.

"Jon," she sighed, turning to look at him, "I'm sorry too. I know you meant well, but you have to trust me when I say I can handle myself."

"I know you can; don't forget I've seen you fight and sparred with you myself. But is it so wrong for me to want to protect you?"

She laughed

"No, there's nothing wrong with that, although you're more likely to need protection than I am!"

"Hey!" he cuffed her lightly around the shoulder. "May I remind you that I am a fully trained knight, and as such need no protection?"

They had resumed walking by this point as had reached the stables. As they entered, Alanna let out a swooping whistle. Some of the ostlers looked up, only to swiftly go back to their checking of the mounts and polishing tack.

Stefan called the pair over to the far end of the stable, where he was checking on a mare's hooves in the stall next to Moonlight.

"Hey girl," Alanna whispered, stroking her horse's nose gently as the mare whickered in her ear. The ostler and member of the Rogue bowed to them both, muttering deferentially

"Highnesses."

Alanna smiled before ducking into Moonlight's stall and retrieving a rather crumpled dress from one of the saddlebags.

"D'ye need me to send word to George?" Stefan asked in a low tone.

"No, I'm going back to the Dove tonight to talk to him. You know he'll want to be there tomorrow." She added to Jon.

"I'll see what I can do." He promised, turning his back along with Stefan as Alanna swiftly changed in the back of Moonlight's stall, while the two men stood there as guards, awkwardly discussing the new horses that had been brought in the week before.

They both jumped slightly as Alanna emerged, brushing vainly at her skirt in an attempt to get some of the creases out.

"I'm ready to go." She announced unnecessarily, "I'll be back after the fitting Stefan."

"As you please Highness." He nodded

"I'll walk you." Jon offered as she conjured a swift glamour to conceal her identity. She smiled at him, before taking his arm as they left the stables. Stefan just watched them go, an amused expression on his face.

After enduring another hour of pins being stuck into both her and the dress, Alanna managed to escape and returned to the stables. Murmuring under her breath to her beloved mare, Alanna placed all the tack on her back and, leaving a note for Stefan in his hayloft, quickly rode out of the palace grounds. Moonlight, clearly in the mood for a good run whinnied and pulled at the reins. Alanna grinned and let the mare have her head until they were galloping down the palace way. When they reached the temple district, Alanna brought the speed down somewhat, but was still crouched low over Moonlight's neck, exulting in the freedom that she hadn't felt since arriving in Corus. She let out a wild cry into the still night air before slowing her horse as they reached the narrow streets which led to the Dancing Dove inn.

Alanna dismounted near a fountain and, with one hand on Moonlight's neck began to walk slowly towards the Dove. There was a time when she would have called the inn 'home' but now not only did she not know where she belonged, but she also didn't feel that she had the right to call the Court of the Rogue her home any longer. She'd lost that right when she'd run away. A bell tolled in the distance, informing the populace that it was an hour after dusk. Alanna had no compunction about walking in the lower city so late. She knew this area well; it was one of the first she had explored upon first arriving in Corus. After George had taken her in, but before she had become known as the Princess of the Rogue, she had taken many silent walks like this, roaming the streets, making the city hers. She hadn't known it at the time but George had often set a watch upon her and either followed her himself, or sent one of the Rogue to do so. It wasn't until he felt that she knew the place well enough and that she could defend herself enough that he had stopped this practice. Even so, he still knew when she left the Dove and the exact hour of her return. She'd become aware of this fairly soon after her fifteenth birthday and although she had initially protested, she had always known that he worried out of care.

Firelight still flickered at some open windows and through chinks in shutters as she passed, Moonlight's hooves clopping against the cobbled road. She was not completely alone in the street, boys stood near to inns, hoping to earn a copper by lighting the way home for some drunk. As she saw a couple of them rouse themselves from their doze at the sound of hooves she stopped, pulling a cloak out of a saddlebag. It was wrinkled and smelled a bit musty, but it was warm and had a hood to conceal her face. She'd used a lot of her Gift today, far more than she was used to, what with glamours and healing herself. She would be content to let the hood and the dark conceal her features for now.

Thinking of her past and the two great changes in her life so far; changing from a noble Alanna of Trebond to the Princess of the Rogue, then finally her metamorphosis into Ariana, the wandering Shang student. And now…

"Who will I be now?" She whispered, watching her breath curl like smoke into the cool air. "Who am I now?"


	28. Chapter Twenty Six: Confusion

**Chapter Twenty Six; Confusion.**

_**Now before I start the chapter, this is the part where I explain why it's taken me so long to update, and where this fic is going to go. Firstly, when I wrote in the note at the top of last chapter I intend to update before the new year, I meant any fic, not specifically this one, and seem to have confused some people by that.**_

_**Secondly, I've tried several ways of writing this chapter and the events that follow and I am, quite frankly, stumped. There is only one way I can see of staying true to the characters, the direction this fic has taken and where I want it to go, and I'm afraid it's not going to please everyone. Don't worry- I don't intend to kill Alanna again, fake or for real!**_

_**But in any case, on with the chapter…

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**_

Alanna looked up from where she stood in one of the back streets of Corus. The sign of the Dancing Dove hung above her head, swinging lightly in the evening air. Her eyes lingered on the purple ribbon intertwined with the branch in the Dove's claws. Another honour she wasn't worthy of. Ducking her head, she turned and walked down the side alley to the training yard and the stables, hearing Moonlight's slow steps behind her.

Her horse went into the stall gladly, tugging at the hay net. Moonlight was used to travelling at odd hours, having been ridden at night almost as much as day all her life. But that didn't mean she didn't need her rest, Alanna reflected, deciding to spend a little more time grooming the long suffering mare. She lost herself in the regular movements, finding a degree of peace in not having to think about what she was doing at that moment, instead wondering what was to become. All her life she'd had one plan or another for her future. As a child; to become a Knight, to gain glory through great deeds. When that chance had been ripped away, she was determined to show her family that she could still make a difference, and in a way they'd never expect, through her life as Princess of the Rogue, determined to prevent injustices being done to the common people by the nobles. When she had left that path, she had become focussed on becoming Shang. Now all three futures were converging and she had no clue how to deal with them, and what the future might bring for her now. She was fairly certain that she would be rejected from the Shang Order, now the truth about her Gift was known. She had a place in the Dove again, and a place at Jon's side. Which should she choose?

Moonlight nickered, sensing her mistress was deep in thought, and craned her neck around to lip the girl's hair, bringing her out of the deep thoughts she was absorbed in. Alanna laughed, hugging Moonlight around the neck before emerging from the stables. . She cursed aloud, pulling the hood of her cloak back up when she realised it had started to rain while she was grooming Moonlight, and now it was pouring down.

She entered the inn through the kitchen door, smiling at the servers and dodging trays whipping over her head. She grabbed a warm roll from a basket and winked at the cook who shook his head at her in mock rebuke. She slipped past Solom with a quick greeting. Seeing George was occupied with some of the newer Rogues, those she didn't recognise, she didn't approach him, but instead moved to sit on a stool close by, but in the shadows cast by the stairs so she didn't interrupt. She ate the roll there, wishing she'd grabbed a mug of water too, observing the crowd as she ate.

For years these people had been her world, her friends and family. She had discussed private matters with prostitutes and flower sellers as easily as with Rispah as the older girls had readied themselves for work. She had stood by as thieves divided their hordes, taking the amount due to George as the King of the Rogue. As she grew older, she stepped into solve problems and had often stepped in to help serve food on a particularly busy night, or if a maid failed to show up.

But now there was a discernable distance between herself and them. She still loved George, Eleni, Rispah and Solom as much as ever, but now she knew that there was so much more for her to do than to simply stay in Corus.

A knife blade stroked her throat and she cursed herself under her breath. She had allowed herself to become distracted, because she had assumed that this place would be secure. The knife moved slightly and she tensed, waiting for an opportunity to knock the knife away from her. Then a familiar face came in front of her, the figure's outstretched arm holding the blade closer than she would have liked. It was Orem, one of the best knifemen she knew, and faithful to George through and through. She smiled, relaxing somewhat, hoping that his loyalties hadn't changed while she had been away

"Let me go Orem. It's me."

He peered closer at her face, still wary though, and then grabbed her shoulder, pulling her out into the lamp light.

"Lanna!" He cried, pulling his dagger away swiftly and sheathing it at his side. "I thought…"

"I know what you thought." She said wryly, rubbing her throat. "And that'll teach me to skulk in shadows while I'm distracted."

He chuckled uneasily

"Are you wanting to see George?" He asked.

"If at all possible." Alanna replied, looking over at the table where the Rogue sat, still dealing with some other men. "What's going on?"

"One of the new thieves has been trying to hold back George's share of the haul." He explained, more comfortable now they were back on everyday topics.

"Has he taken an ear yet?" She asked

"Not yet." Orem let out a bark of laughter. "But it's getting close."

Alanna took a closer look at the men George spoke with, noting their appearance and weapons. Refusing to give the Thief King his due was one of the first signs of rebellion. As the one she assumed was the ringleader, a young blond man, spoke up once more, she smiled knowingly. This wouldn't be a problem for George, she was sure, they'd dealt with the likes of him before. He'd probably come back from a big raid with a large haul and after having one too many celebratory drinks decided he was above the rules. Previously she would have stepped in, putting a little more pressure on the group who were already looking nervous. But now, that was no longer her place, she thought, sighing lightly. This would still take some time though, George was known for dealing with problems thoroughly and as soon as they occurred, rather than leave them for morning.

"I'm going upstairs." She said softly to Orem "When George is finished, will you tell him I need to speak with him tonight?"

The large man nodded, watching as she mounted the narrow stairway before moving back to his accustomed position behind George's chair.

It was about an hour later when George finished and followed Alanna to her room. He paused outside the door, unsure of what to do, previously he would have simply walked in, but now he was no longer sure of his place in her life. He decided to compromise and knocked lightly before opening the door. He found Alanna sitting in a chair by the window, feet propped on the sill, reading a book with an expression of distaste clearly stamped on her features.

"What's that?" he enquired, nodding to the book,

"Some light bedtime reading on etiquette. It was on my bed when I came in, a gift from Eleni I shouldn't wonder." She smiled grimly, holding it up so he could see the cover, decorated with nearly illegible cursive script and a drawing of a young lady, chin precisely level with the floor, hands demurely placed just so.

George chuckled at her expression, leaning against the table.

"Aye. She came up here earlier this afternoon. She mentioned that you were to go to her home before the ball and she'll help you get ready, or if they want you to get ready at the palace, she'd be willing to go along with you."

Alanna grinned in relief

"It'll be good to have her there. Speaking of, if you want to be there, Jon said he could get you in as one of the Palace Guard. Apparently they've recently taken in new recruits, so you can pretend to be one of them." She sent him a beseeching look. "Please come."

"Of course I'll come, darlin' girl. I wouldn't miss it for the world." He reassured her. "But first, tell me what I can expect tomorrow."

Alanna sighed.

"To tell you the truth, I'm not entirely sure myself. I just have to be there and follow instructions. Jon warned me that the man in charge has a rather… dramatic side though." She groaned. "I'm fairly sure that's not a good thing."

"I'm sure it'll be fine. No one ever managed to make you do something you didn't want to after all, I see no reason for you to start letting them do so now." He dropped a kiss on her forehead and walked quietly out of her room, closing the door behind him.

After George had left, Alanna remained in the chair a little longer, turning his words over in her mind. It was true, she'd always fought against orders she didn't agree with, but that was when her actions hardly affected anyone other than herself. Now she had to worry about what the Shang thought, George's opinion still mattered to her as much as it ever had, and also what effect her actions would have on Jon. Letting out a long sigh, she shed her clothes, changing into a simple night shirt. Her insides churning with anxiety, she tried to sleep, wondering all the time if she was making the right choice.

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_**What did you think? Please let me know in a review!

* * *

**_

**_In other news, The Circle of Heroes Awards has now begun! These are the fanifc awards I run in the Tamora Pierce fandom. _**

_**I'm looking for judges for this round. If you're interested, please email me or go to the site (see my profile for the address) and sign up there! If you know anyone else who might be interested, please do urge them to sign up too. The more judges the better!**_

_**HuntressDiana**_


	29. Chapter Twenty Seven: Reuniting

**Chapter Twenty Seven; Reuniting.**

Alanna gasped at the sting of the cold water on her skin. Reaching out blindly for a cloth to dry her face with, she grumbled to herself. She had barely managed to sleep at all that night and had stopped trying after dawn. After performing the exercise routine she had used to keep herself limber ever since she had joined Shang, she had retreated to her room once more as the other inhabitants of the Dancing Dove inn had begun to stir.

"So, this is where you have been hiding yourself, sister dear."

Alanna yelped as Thom's dry voice cut through the silence. Angry at herself for not sensing his approach, she flung the damp cloth at him, hitting him squarely in the face.

"Good morning to you too." She pulled a face at the smugness in Thom's voice as he gloated to himself for catching her unawares. When they were children in the forests of Trebond, Alanna had always bested her twin at hiding in the forests in the fief, finding that jumping out at her more studious twin was an endless source of amusement. However, when he managed to turn the tables on her he would be unbearable for the rest of the day.

"I haven't really been hiding." She pointed out as she ducked behind a changing screen to change out of her sweat dampened practice clothes into something more suitable for the rest of the day.

"I've barely seen you since you returned." Thom's voice was filled with regret rather than condemnation.

Alanna had to acknowledge the truth of the statement. Since she had set foot in Corus she had been preoccupied with reuniting with so many people that her brother had missed out.

"I'm sorry."

"You're forgiven."

Poking her head around the screen, Alanna rolled her eyes at his condescending reply.

"So why are you here?"

"Can't a man visit his long lost sister without needing a reason?"

"Not when that brother is you Thom. I may have been away but I know you; it must be something important for you to come down to the city at such an hour."

Thom sighed and sat down on the bed, looking serious for once.

"We've missed out on a lot of each others' lives haven't we?"

Moving to grab a comb, Alanna nodded.

"Even if our plan had succeeded we'd have been separated though." She pointed out. "I would still have been in Corus and you in the Mithran cloisters."

"But we would have still been able to communicate." Thom frowned. "Through the fire, or letters. When we were found out though…" Alanna winced, although he was trying to be tactful, she knew that she had been the one to be discovered, and the memory of Lord Alan disinheriting her and banishing her from her childhood home was still a sore point she tried not to think of more than she had to.

"We haven't really known each other since that day we left Trebond. Firstly because I thought you were dead."

"And I thought you had abandoned me." Alanna interjected.

Thom frowned at her.

"Quite. Wrongly, I might add." Staving off another interruption from his sister, he continued. "Then we found each other again."

"But were separated again when I ran away." She finished, sinking down onto the bed beside her twin. Thom nodded, neither excusing nor condemning her actions, merely signifying he understood.

"However, here we are again." The two fell silent for a moment or two until Thom burst out suddenly. "You don't have to do this though. Lady Alanna can remain dead and we can go back to Trebond."

Alanna arched an eyebrow at him.

"Neither one of us would be happy there Thom, and you know it. I'd feel caged and you wouldn't be able to do the great deeds of sorcery you've dreamed of. Besides, we both have things to do here."

"And people we care about?" Thom said, his face a study of innocence.

"And people." She conceded. "I feel that I have to see this though. I owe it to Jon and the others."

"Ah, and here we come to the heart of it." Thom commented acerbically. "I wondered how long it would be before his highness was mentioned."

"I promised him I'd stay." Alanna retorted, her face flushing. At Thom's apprising look, she fell back on the bed. "And I think I love him."

"You think? If you're planning to stay in Corus and send the entire court into a frenzy for him, you better be more sure about it that 'think'."

Shooting a glare at him she retorted tartly.

"Well when I am certain, I'll be certain to let you know first."

The two fell into a somewhat awkward silence until Alanna spoke again, needing answers to something that had worried her ever since she had found Thom in his room upon returning to Corus.

"Thom, why did you try and bring me back from the dead?"

"You're my twin." He answered plainly. "I wanted to reclaim what had been taken from us."

"But resurrection…" Alanna continued, choosing her words carefully. "Isn't it… dangerous?"

"To a lesser sorcerer, perhaps."

"To anyone." She stood, turning to face her twin. "I may not be a Master of the Mithran arts, but I know enough of the Gift to know that it should never be used for unnatural ends. And resurrecting the dead is certainly unnatural."

Thom's face flushed, although his temper was less easily roused than hers, Alanna was under no illusions as to the strength of his rage when it was awoken.

"What should I have done then, sister? I thought you were dead. Should I have let the last member of my family be taken from me?"

Alanna sighed. "Yes. The Black God comes for everyone eventually…"

Thom threw himself to his feet in a sudden violent motion.

"Mithros, Alanna! You don't know what it was like. I'd thought you were dead for so long, that pain had dulled somewhat. And then we were reunited. I was thrown off a balcony by Roger. I came to consciousness and returned to the Great Hall in time to find the Prince kneeling over a body and screaming your name. Everything is blank after that, although they tell me that I managed to stagger to your body before fainting." His mouth twisted. "By the time I'd woken again they'd cleaned you, or rather Lucy, I believe her name was," He waited only long enough for Alanna to nod mutely before continuing, "up and you were lying cold on a slab." His anger waned and he sank into a chair, their violet eyes meeting. "Can't you understand why I did what I did now?"

"I always understood Thom." She sighed and moved across the room to his side. "When I was told that you and my friends had all died, I would have done anything to bring you back. If I had the power and knowledge which you do, I honestly think I would have tried to." She pulled her twin to his feet and embraced him tightly. Thom didn't hesitate to cling to her just as fiercely.

"Just promise me that you'll never do it again." He heard Alanna say into his shoulder, muffled somewhat by his shirt, but still clearly.

"If you promise not to do anything like that again." He returned softly. "That includes dying or pretending to be dead." He heard a stifled laugh before Alanna pulled away, a serious expression on her face.

"I swear I'll try my hardest not to."

"Then I also promise."

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_**See- I haven't vanished off the face of the earth, and neither has Thom!**_

_**This story is beginning to wind down now though- there are not too many more chapters to go. However I can't promise when the next chapter will be up- I'm incredibly busy at the moment, and honestly don't see my load lightening for some while. **_

_**So I would just like to thank everyone who reads and leaves a review for this fic and any of my others, it means a lot to me.**_

_**HuntressDiana**_


	30. Chapter Twenty Eight: Entrance

**Chapter Twenty Eight; Entrance.**

_Hi!_

_Remember me? I'm sorry for the length of time it is taking me to update- life is getting busier and more complicated all the time. I am also, and have been for some time, dropping out of the fandom. I will do my utmost to finish most, if not all of my stories, that much I promise you!_

_Thank you so much to everyone who reviews- you are the ones who spur me on to writing more!_

_Diana. xo_

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"It's nearly time, isn't it?"

She could hear the carriages of the nobility and the chatter of the rich lords and ladies as they entered the palace. The stone corridors acted as a funnel for the sound of the latecomers as she sat in the dressing room in the Queen's quarters.

George and Eleni, the only ones in the room with her, nodded. Sighing, she stood from the chair in which she had been sitting for the past few hours whilst various women painted her face and pulled her hair into an elegant style. Wincing at her stiffness, Alanna straightened and made her way to the mirror. Eyeing her reflection, she had to admit that the maids knew how to do their job well. Staring back at her was no Princess of the Rogue, nor a capable Shang warrior, but a Lady. The Lady Alanna of Trebond she could have been had Alanna bowed to her father's commands when she was a child. Smoothing her hands over the long skirt, her sword and bow calluses caught on the soft material. To the surprise of the others, that brought a soft smile to her lips; Alanna was no ordinary Lady of the Court and nor would she ever be. The words of the Doi seers she had met throughout her journey echoed through her mind. The first had travelled to Maren, where she had been training with Eda, to speak to her; the second she had met when a travelling market had passed through a town they had been staying in; the last, a man, had stopped her after she was reunited with Jon in Persepolis. All of them had spoken to her of the past, the present and the future and of three possible paths converging into one. Perhaps this was the crucial moment they had spoken of, the moment in which the Noble Lady, the Princess of the Rogue and the Shang Warrior were all one person. She had been all of those at one time or another, but she had fled from her life as a Noble a lifetime ago, she had abandoned the court of the Rogue when she had run away after the Great Palace Battle and she was resigned to being condemned by the Shang Elders for deceiving them about her Gift. With an ironic smile she absently accepted Eleni and George's good wishes and embraces as they left her to her thoughts, hurrying away to their positions. It was strange, for someone who prided herself in being so brave, she had run away from a lot of things in her life. She no longer fitted into the roles she once had, perhaps it was time to start anew again, although this time, without running away.

A knock startled her from her musings. With another sigh she turned to the door. It was no good dreaming on what might have been, if her experiences had taught her anything, it was to concentrate on the present and to stop second guessing herself. It was time to end all deceptions. Only when she had revealed who she truly was, when she no longer had to recall whether she could be herself or had to pretend to be someone else to different people, could she have a clear mind once again. Since she had left her home in Trebond as a child, she had been living a lie in one form or another. It was time to reveal all, and finally learn who she was again. Alanna had no idea what she wanted to do after the ball, she knew she loved Jon and her family and friends here in Corus and didn't think she could leave them again, but she was also a realist; how could she stay within the city and still be herself? Another knock, this time firmer, roused her out of her musings once more. She called for the person to enter and was relieved to see it was one of the Queen's maids.

"Excuse me, my lady, but her majesty sent me to tell you that you have some visitors in her drawing room." With a curtsey she turned, intending to lead Alanna to the appropriate room. Rolling her eyes at the unexpected disturbance, Alanna grabbed her outside cloak from the chair on which it had been carelessly thrown and wrapped it around herself, concealing herself and her dress from sight. When the maid looked back to check that the guest of honour was following, she received quite a shock, for the beautiful lady had been replaced by a slightly menacing figure in a dark cloak, hood pulled low over her eyes.

The lady's gentle prompting brought the girl back to her senses quickly, dropping her eyes once more, she led the way to the Queen's suite of rooms.

She opened the door and, curtseying, urged Alanna to enter. Slightly cautiously she stepped into the room, to be pleasantly surprised by her brother and all her friends at the palace gathered into the one room. It was surprisingly cramped.

"What are you all doing here?" She asked in pleasant shock, "I thought you were all in the ball room already!" She glanced around, taking in the sight of her friends dressed in their finery. They were a wonderful sight to behold, in the prime of youth, five strong young men stood before her. Jon approached her and dropped a soft kiss on her mouth, unexpectedly causing her to blush. Chuckling softly at her reaction, he moved from the room, ready to take his place on the dais in the ballroom.

When the door shut behind him, she turned back around to face the rest of the men. Catching sight of their amused, or in Thom's case, slightly disgusted and disapproving faces, she wrinkled her nose at them.

Gary, as ever, was the one to break the silence, giving an admiring wolf whistle.

"Look at you!" He circled her slowly, stroking his chin comically. "You clean up pretty well!"

Laughing, she swatted him away playfully.

"So do you all, Sir Knights."

"We are here to escort you to the ball room," Thom said, interrupting the fun and instantly everyone sobered. He stepped close to his sister and she saw his resolve firming. "If this is what you really want, Alanna. It's still not too late to change your mind. You can't go back after this."

Alanna didn't answer straight away; she would be lying if she said she didn't still have doubts about what she was about to do. After she revealed who she was to the entire court, her life would change, once more, forever. She would have to find a path between what she wanted for herself and what others expected of her. What Jon expected of her. She had no illusions that he loved her, nor that she returned his love equally, but Jon was the Crown Prince of Tortall and whoever he married would become Queen. Did she want to be Queen? To permanently have to watch what she said, thought, did? Looking around, she saw the expressions of those who surrounded her. They were filled with a mixture of anticipation, hope, fear and yet also acceptance. Whatever she chose, her friends would stand by her. It was that which firmed her resolve and made up her mind for the final time. She was ready, and her expression told her companions everything they needed to know.

With a bow, Raoul offered her a dress cloak to replace the one she was wearing and the party moved out of the parlour, a slender, small girl cloaked and veiled in the midst of a group composed of the finest knights of the realm and a great sorcerer, but more importantly, her friends.

Jon stood behind the doors of the Great staircase, taking one moment to compose himself. The ball was already in motion, he could hear the music coming through the doors and the constant chatter of the courtiers. They would be discussing what had caused the King and Queen to hold a Grand Ball on such short notice. He only hoped the guards who had been in the antechamber when he had introduced Alanna to his parents had kept quiet. From the looks he had been receiving from several of the court ladies however, he had a sneaking suspicion that some rumour had spread. He inwardly groaned; they were probably all hoping that this would be the night when he picked one of them for his wife. He hadn't even begun thinking about marriage with Alanna yet, although he understood her reservations. He took it as a positive sign though that she had allowed him to court her, and he had George and Thom's blessings, of sorts. Jon was by no means a fool, he understood very well what would be expected of him as a King and what would be expected of his wife. Alanna could make an excellent queen, he was certain, with time. But would she enjoy it? While she could play the courtier's game both in the Royal court and that of the Rogue, possessed a shrewd mind and a strong sense of justice, he had to accept that she would never be the queen his mother was. She was too strong willed for that. Due to her illness and, in part, to her temperament, his mother was not greatly involved in matters of state, save when Roald asked her advice, which was often. Alanna would be his co-ruler in not just name but deed…

He started somewhat when the announcer cleared his throat and enquired if he was ready to make his entrance. Straightening his tunic and moving between the doors, a thrill of anticipation and excitement tingling through his body, Jon nodded his assent. The doors opened and the show began.

* * *

_Just to answer a couple of questions that have popped up;_

_Q- Will Alanna and George ever get together?_

_A- No. I know I said that I would write both a George/Alanna and Jon/Alanna ending if possible. With my characterisation of Alanna and George's father-daughter relationship, it's just not going to happen._

_Q - Is this the second part of a trilogy?_

_A - No, I have no plans to write a third story in the Princess of the Rogue set. I have no ideas how to continue it, nor the time anymore._

_Thanks again, and I hope my next update is sooner!_

_Diana xo_


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